DOTr taps firms to evaluate feasibility of infra projects

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the agency has tapped Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Isla Lipana & Co. (PwC Philippines), and SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV) for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) operations and maintenance and feasibility studies for the NCR- e d sa Busway, Manila Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake Ferry System (MAPALLA) and North Long h a ul Inter-Regional Railway. The contracts were signed with the Public-Private Partnership Center.

Bautista said the agency will “rely” on the private sector’s expertise in transportation planning, architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering and other aspects of the projects.

“The Marcos administration is committed to leverage the private sector’s efficiency and flexibility,” Bautista said. “Pursuant to the President’s directive, the DOTr is working full speed and is com- mencing the feasibility studies of four IFPs.”

The North Long h a ul InterRegional Railway is envisioned to be an 800-kilometer railway, which will reconstruct the legacy railway to Ilocos and Cagayan Valley and will provide better transportation for passenger and goods, linking rapidly urbanizing economic centers in the northern and northeastern parts of Luzon.

The government said the MA-

PALLA System will reconstruct and expand the Pasig River Ferry for quality and higher frequency services throughout the Greater Capital Region, including Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

The ferry system will feature low-carbon ferries servicing tens of thousands of passengers daily.

The NCR- e d sa Busway, meanwhile, is expected to enhance the existing e d sa Carousel to address the high demand for transportation services along the median of e d sa and feeder roads by increasing capacity and service reliability.

The project may also involve the introduction of electric buses, reducing the carbon emissions along heavily trafficked corridors of Metro Manila.

A 13.18-kilometer bus lane in Cebu stretching from Mambaling to Cebu IT Park, the Cebu BRT is expected to serve up to 160,000 passengers daily in its full operations.