Metro Manila will soon welcome its second bus rapid transit (BRT) system, as the city government of Makati begins to assess the proposed ₱17.76-billion busway project aimed at decongesting its central business district (CBD).

The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center said on its website that it was informed by the city government on Aug. 10 that it will now proceed with the detailed evaluation of an unsolicited proposal for the Makati BRT project.

The city government also notified the proponent of the proposal, a certain Makati BRT Consortium, of the same development, according to the PPP Center.

The development comes after the PPP Center endorsed the project to the city government last July 30, after determining that it is compliant with Section 10 of the PPP Code, which covers the requirements for an unsolicited proposal.

Based on the project briefer, Makati BRT will be developed under a hybrid build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme, wherein the proponent will design, construct, and maintain the project for a concession period before transferring it back to the city government.

According to the PPP Center, the project cost is currently estimated at around ₱17.76 billion.

Designed to utilize electrified buses, the proposed Makati BRT is envisioned to serve as a high-capacity transit system for the city’s CBD and surrounding communities through two lines.

Line 1 of the project covers a round-trip distance of approximately 9.2 kilometers (km), of which 6.9 km are dedicated or prioritized bus lanes that would traverse Ayala Avenue, Buendia Avenue, Makati Avenue, Palm Drive, and East Street.

Meanwhile, Line 2 will span a round-trip distance of 8.3 km, including 6.2 km of dedicated or prioritized bus lanes, serving the areas of Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue, J.P. Rizal Street, Trabajo Street, Hippodromo Street, A.P. Reyes Street, Chino Roces Avenue, Kalayaan Avenue, South Avenue, Ayala Avenue Extension, and the Ayala Center road network.

The BRT fleet is expected to consist of low-floor, 18-meter articulated electric buses that are designed to accommodate a large number of passengers while also being universally accessible.

“To ensure inclusive mobility and equitable access to economic opportunities, the BRT system serves disadvantaged groups including persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, pregnant women, and low-income service workers who require barrier-free access, physical safety, and affordability,” the briefer said.

Line 1 of the project is able to accommodate up to 13,000 peak passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), while Line 2 is seen carrying around 3,900 PPHPD.

Makati BRT is expected to operate for around 18 hours a day, running from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., to cater to the average working hours of office employees, who are the primary commuter demographic within the city’s CBD.

As such, Line 1 of the BRT is projected to operate at headways of about 1.5 minutes during peak hours of operation, while Line 2 is seen operating at headways of approximately 2.5 minutes.

The estimated end-to-end travel time for the entire transit line is around 25.3 minutes for Line 1 and 23 minutes for Line 2.

The PPP Center said the proposed BRT project also includes the construction of stations, signal priority treatments, fleet management and operational control systems, and supporting charging and maintenance facilities for the electric bus fleet.

“Collectively, these facilities and services are intended to provide a fast, reliable, safe, accessible, and low-emission mass transit solution that enhances mobility within Makati City and improves connectivity between key commercial, residential, institutional, and transport hubs,” it said.

At present, Metro Manila is served by only a single BRT system, EDSA Busway, which provides accessible travel along the region’s most congested highway.

EDSA Busway, which served 66.67 million passengers last year, received no funding under the proposed budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) next year under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).