As the subway project in Metro Manila starts taking shape, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Thursday, Jan. 23, that it is planning to construct the same underground rail line in the province of Cebu.
DOTr Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Undersecretary Timothy John Batan, said the construction of Cebu subway will be of big help in easing traffic congestion especially in the cities of the province.
Batan explained that there seems to be no other option but an underground rail system in Cebu since unlike Metro Manila, the province has narrow roads which makes the construction of an elevated rail line not feasible.
‘There are no wide and long roads in Cebu to accommodate elevated railway so this is where the idea of a subway came from. This is actually part of the master plan of Cebu,” said Batan.
“This project was conceived as part of the agency’s masterplan for the province to decongest its roads and encourage the use of public transport,” he added.
Under the Cebu masterplan, the subway will have roughly 60 to 65 kilometers of rail line from Danao City to Carcar City.
But Batan said the transport agency will have to conduct a demand study to determine the number of passengers the subway can accommodate.
Currently, he said they planning to start the study on the demand for ridership in order for the government to come up with a clear idea of the estimated passengers for Cebu subway.
On the part of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), it is currently in its 18.24 percent overall construction progress.
Dubbed as the country's "Crown Jewel" of mass transit system, the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway will cut across eight cities from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City.
Once completed, the rail system will cut travel time from Valenzuela City to Pasay City from one hour and 38 minutes to just 45 minutes, while servicing over half a million passengers daily.