THE transportation department is planning to auction the multibillion-peso deal for the construction of a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Metro Manila this year in a bid to address the growing demand for transport connectivity within the capital and its nearby cities.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya said his office was supposed to present the much-needed infrastructure project to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board last Monday, but was pushed back to the next scheduled meeting this quarter.
He noted that the facility is just one of the key infrastructure projects that his office is aiming to roll out this year. The others are the P370-billion Mass Transit System Loop and the P287-billion North-South Railway System. These are on top of the planned auction for other transport-facility projects, such as the Integrated Terminal System, the Davao Sasa Wharf and the Motor Vehicle Inspection System.
“We are planning to roll out the Subway, the Commuter Rails, the Manila BRT—the one on Quezon Avenue. In fact, we were supposed to present it, but we were pushed back to the second meeting,” he said in an interview, referring to the Neda Board, the planning body chaired by President Aquino.
The P4.9-billion Quezon Avenue BRT will run from Commonwealth in Quezon City to Manila City Hall, passing through España Boulevard. Another BRT system is eyed to be constructed along C-5 Road. It is currently being studied by the World Bank.
This year could be a banner year for the transportation department, given the magnitude of the public-private partnership deals to be auctioned off.
Currently, the Cabinet official’s office is tendering the operations and maintenance contract of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2, the deal to construct the ITS South Terminal and the modernization of the Bohol, Laguindingan, Puerto Princesa, Davao, Bacolod and Iloilo airports.
The project is one of the key infrastructure deals of the Aquino administration, which has awarded nine contracts since the program’s inception in 2010, namely:
the P1.96-billion Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway project, bagged by Ayala Corp. in 2011;
the P16.42-billion first phase of the PPP School Infrastructure Program, which went in 2012 to the consortium formed by Megawide Construction Corp. and Citicore Holdings Investment Inc., as well as the BF Corp.-Riverbanks Development Corp. Consortium;
the P15.68-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport expressway, given to San Miguel Corp. unit Vertex Tollways Development Inc. in 2013;
the P3.86-billion PSIP Phase II contract, partially awarded in 2013 to Megawide and the BSP & Co. Inc.-Vicente T. Lao Construction consortium;
the P5.69-billion Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center project, which went to the Megawide-World Citi Inc. consortium, also in 2013.
the P1.72-billion Automatic Fare Collection System contract, awarded to the AF Consortium of Ayala and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. in 2014;
the P17.5-billion Mactan Cebu International Airport New Passenger Terminal project, bagged in 2014 by Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructures Ltd.;
the P64.9-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension deal, awarded in 2014 to Light Rail Manila Consortium of Ayala and MPIC; and
the P2.5-billion Integrated Transport System Southwest Terminal, won by Megawide and partner Walter Mart Property Management Inc. of billionaire and retail magnate Henry Sy in January.
The state intends to plug the gap in the country’s transportation facility in the next decade by rolling out massive infrastructure projects that are seen to spur economic growth.
5 comments
Im interested on how this will pan out.
How will the jeepney / bus associations react to this?
Jeepneys should be fine. The BRT is supposed to act like a trackless railway line where the “train” is actually an elongated bus. They’ll have a dedicated lane in the middle of a multi-lane road as well as having actual dedicated loading/unloading stations so they won’t compete with jeeps for space on the road the same way regular buses would.
As for buses, they’ll probably won’t be affected either as they’ll just be an alternative to the BRT for commuters. But given how reckless and undisciplined Metro Manila’s bus drivers can be, more commuters may opt for the “steadier” option if given a choice.
why do the major infra projects in Metro Manila get quickly approved? while the BRT project in Cebu has been stalled for years already?..and with other prospective PPP projects in Davao and elsewhere?..the DOTC (and the centralized form of government) sucks….
Here’s an update on Cebu’s BRT: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2015/02/26/575-m-credit-facility-pact-cebu-brt-inked-394478#.VPbgVgueZf8.facebook