Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System
Encyclopedia
The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System is a proposed mass transit system for the City of Cebu located within the greater Cebu Metropolitan
area. It is expected to become the first operational Bus Rapid Transit
project in the Philippines. Only one line has been planned in detail so far, but scheme developers note the potential to develop a larger network comprising the adjacent cities Lapu-Lapu
, Mandaue
and Talisay. Leadership in both Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue have shown interest in the network. It is expected the first phase of the route could be operational in 2013.
in the 1990s, but it was 2008 when the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) began formal planning. On April 20, 2008, Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña originally requested the World Bank for assistance in the conduct of the Pre-Feasibility Study. Cebu City Planning and Development Coordinator, Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete
, disclosed on February 2, 2009, that the Public-Private Infrastructure Assistance Facility (PPIAF) has allocated the funding for the Pre-Feasibility Study, to be conducted by the World Bank. After the study, the World Bank
is supporting the scheme financially and technically through its Clean Technology Fund. The Philippines National Government is also supporting the project financially as President Benigno S. Aquino III has placed it among his top 16 Public-Private Partnership projects to pursue. The current Mayor of Cebu City, Michael Rama, is also supportive of the plans and has formed two steering committees to advise on policies and provide technical expertise. The Cebu City Team is headed by former Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival, as the former Cebu BRT Project Development Officer, Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete
, transferred to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on October 26, 2010.
A pre-feasibility study was conducted by World Bank consultants Integrated Transport Planning Ltd in 2010 which concluded the scheme “is deliverable physically, institutionally and financially”. A full feasibility study is now being conducted by the DOTC.
The BRT vehicles will run along segregated bus lanes that run down the middle of the road. Stations will also be located in the middle of the road and will be accessed by footbridges or pedestrian crossings. 25 stations have been proposed including terminals at Ayala Shopping Mall, SM Mall, Talamban and Bulacao.
A modified Jeepney network is expected to operate feeder and complementary services to the BRT route.
The pre-feasibility study estimates that in comparison to using Jeepneys the BRT route will save Cebuanos 570 million hours of travelling per year and will also be cheaper for the bus operators as BRT vehicles are cheaper to run than the existing Jeepneys. The overall cost benefit ratio has been evaluated to be 2.45.
If the buses were to run on diesel then the route is estimated to save 9,655 tonnes of PM10 emissions and 1.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions up to the year 2035. However the DOTC is also considering running the vehicles on LPG, biofuel, hybrid or electricity which will reduce emissions further.
Potential BRT Full Network for Metropolitan Cebu - covering the cities of Talisay, Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-lapu, passing through the South Road Properties (SRP), and connecting to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA)
Metro Cebu
Metro Cebu is the main urban center of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Metro Cebu is located along the central eastern portion of the island including the nearby island of Mactan...
area. It is expected to become the first operational Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
project in the Philippines. Only one line has been planned in detail so far, but scheme developers note the potential to develop a larger network comprising the adjacent cities Lapu-Lapu
Lapu-Lapu City
The City of Lapu-Lapu is a first class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, a few kilometer off the main island of Cebu and also covers the Olango Island Group further to the southeast, plus a few other islets. It is part of the...
, Mandaue
Mandaue City
The City of Mandaue is a city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. It is one of the three urbanized cities in the island and forms a part of the Cebu Metropolitan area. Mandaue City is located on the middle eastern coastal region of Cebu, bordering to its right-side are Mactan Island where...
and Talisay. Leadership in both Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue have shown interest in the network. It is expected the first phase of the route could be operational in 2013.
Stage of Development
A Bus Rapid Transit system for Cebu City was first proposed by the former Mayor Tomas OsmeñaTomas Osmeña
Tomas "Tommy" de la Rama Osmeña is a Filipino politician currently serving as Congressman for the second district of Cebu City. Prior to his congressional term, he has also served as mayor of Cebu City from 1988 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2010.-Early life:Tomas is the son of the late Senator Sergio...
in the 1990s, but it was 2008 when the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) began formal planning. On April 20, 2008, Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña originally requested the World Bank for assistance in the conduct of the Pre-Feasibility Study. Cebu City Planning and Development Coordinator, Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete
Nigel Paul Villarete
Nigel Paul C. Villarete is a Filipino civil engineer and urban planner. He is currently the General Manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport , located in Mactan Island, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, Philippines, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority...
, disclosed on February 2, 2009, that the Public-Private Infrastructure Assistance Facility (PPIAF) has allocated the funding for the Pre-Feasibility Study, to be conducted by the World Bank. After the study, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
is supporting the scheme financially and technically through its Clean Technology Fund. The Philippines National Government is also supporting the project financially as President Benigno S. Aquino III has placed it among his top 16 Public-Private Partnership projects to pursue. The current Mayor of Cebu City, Michael Rama, is also supportive of the plans and has formed two steering committees to advise on policies and provide technical expertise. The Cebu City Team is headed by former Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival, as the former Cebu BRT Project Development Officer, Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete
Nigel Paul Villarete
Nigel Paul C. Villarete is a Filipino civil engineer and urban planner. He is currently the General Manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport , located in Mactan Island, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, Philippines, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority...
, transferred to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on October 26, 2010.
A pre-feasibility study was conducted by World Bank consultants Integrated Transport Planning Ltd in 2010 which concluded the scheme “is deliverable physically, institutionally and financially”. A full feasibility study is now being conducted by the DOTC.
Route
The 16 kilometre route traverses Cebu City from Bulacao in the south-west to Talamban in the north-east, linking the following key destinations; Central Business District, Capitol Site, Ayala Shopping Mall and a proposed tributary to SM Shopping Mall. A spur to the 300-hectare Cebu South Reclamation Project (SRP) is also planned as developers Filinvest seek to integrate BRT provision into their development plans.The BRT vehicles will run along segregated bus lanes that run down the middle of the road. Stations will also be located in the middle of the road and will be accessed by footbridges or pedestrian crossings. 25 stations have been proposed including terminals at Ayala Shopping Mall, SM Mall, Talamban and Bulacao.
A modified Jeepney network is expected to operate feeder and complementary services to the BRT route.
Vehicles
Single deck non-articulated buses which hold between 85 and 110 passengers will be used. A running speed of 25 km/hr is proposed with a peak frequency of 105 buses per hour on the core route. This operation is expected to carry 317,000 Cebuanos each day.Ticketing and Fares
Ticketing is likely to use pre-pay smart cards like that used for Rapid Transport in Singapore and Hong Kong. The pre-feasibility assessment for the BRT route states that if the fares were charged at the same level as Jeepneys then the ticket revenue would be US$15 million per year, of which US$1.5 million is expected to be profit/surplus.Costs and benefits
The route will be constructed in two phases, the first from Bulacao to Ayala Mall which should be operational in 2013 and the second from Ayala Mall to Talamban which should be operational in 2014/2015. The capital cost of the infrastructure is estimated to be US$115 million, which equates to US$7 million per kilometre.The pre-feasibility study estimates that in comparison to using Jeepneys the BRT route will save Cebuanos 570 million hours of travelling per year and will also be cheaper for the bus operators as BRT vehicles are cheaper to run than the existing Jeepneys. The overall cost benefit ratio has been evaluated to be 2.45.
If the buses were to run on diesel then the route is estimated to save 9,655 tonnes of PM10 emissions and 1.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions up to the year 2035. However the DOTC is also considering running the vehicles on LPG, biofuel, hybrid or electricity which will reduce emissions further.
External links
- Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide (available for download in pdf) Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
- Bus Rapid Transit, Volume 1: Case Studies in Bus Rapid Transit Transportation Research Board
- Bus Rapid Transit, Volume 2: Implementation Guidelines Transportation Research Board
- The National BRT Institute
- BRT Technologies: Assisting Drivers Operating Buses on Road Shoulders. University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, Department of Mechanical Engineering (December 2003).
- Bus Rapid Transit Policy Center
- Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
- Across Latitudes and Cultures Bus Rapid Transit An international Centre of Excellence for BRT development
- Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual Transportation Research Board
- The Climate Investment Funds and the Clean Technology Fund