Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade on Wednesday said the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project could partially operate before the end of this year.

Speaking during the inauguration of the new building of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) here, Tugade said the procurement process for the PHP16.5-billion BRT project will start next week to catch up with the target date of start of the construction in April.

“We need to improve and modernize the public transport system of Cebu City and the Province of Cebu and in various places in Region 7,” he said.

He assured the Cebuanos that the Duterte administration remains committed to finding solutions to the perennial problem of traffic congestion in Metro Cebu.

Tugade also challenged local officials to start forming the long-awaited Metro Cebu Traffic Authority.

He asked the support of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who was present during the event, in realizing DOTr’s program in Cebu.

Tugade said Cebuanos can also expect partial operability of the PHP77.57-billion Cebu Monorail Project before the end of 2021.

According to the DOTr’s Public-Private Partnership Center, the monorail project “involves the construction/development of approximately 27-kilometer rail transit system”.

The project is composed of the Cebu Central Line, which will be a 17.7-kilometer elevated monorail transit system with 14 stations; the Cebu Airport Line, a 9.3-kilometer elevated monorail transit system six stations; and a five-hectare depot facility to be located close to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Tugade also said the Cebu Cable Car system will serve commuters from the hinterland villages in the city.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, who also graced the occasion, challenged the LTFRB-7 personnel led by Eduardo Montealto Jr. to use the new building to new regional field regulations office of the agency in providing a comfortable life to the commuting public in Cebu.

“I challenged the LTFRB: we have to decongest Cebu City,” Dino told officials, adding that the BRT and monorail will eventually help solve congestion in the city.

Montealto, meanwhile, thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for helping realize their dream of having their own office building after 33 years of utilizing spaces that are not conducive for work.

Also present during the inauguration were LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra and other transportation officials. (PNA)