Ben Madilynn
CEBU City’s push towards electric public transportation does not equate to zero carbon emissions, as much of the city’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants, which contribute considerable carbon emissions, an urban planner said.
In response to Councilor Rey Gealon’s statement that the city’s transportation initiative aims to combat climate change, urban planner Nigel Paul Villarete, in a chat message on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, said the effectiveness of such measures depends on the actual total emissions per kilometer of travel.
“Yes, electric buses can be used, but it’s not true that there are zero carbon emissions,” said Villarete.
Councilor Gealon, who also sits as Cebu City Traffic Management and Coordination Committee (CCTMC) chairman, earlier told SunStar Cebu that the direction of Cebu City’s public transportation is to go electric and that electric buses will be required to be operated along the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route.
Gealon, along with councilors Renator Osmeña Jr. and Jocelyn Pesquera, City Planning and Development Office head Architect Michael Espina, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) deputy chief lawyer Kent Francisco Jongoy, and the city’s architects and planners, attended the Transport Summit in Moscow, Russia on Aug. 21-25.
Villarete, however, said that electric buses, as electric as they are, still have to be charged by electric power produced by some coal-fired and diesel plants.
“That’s why the (Cebu) BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) studies still proposed regular fuel,” he said.
“I have no idea whether a decision has been made to use electric buses; I think the original studies still assumed diesel-fueled buses. But it’s worth looking into,” he said.
Gealon had served as chief of the CCTO in 2015, during suspended mayor Michael Rama’s second term as mayor, from 2013-2016. He was also assistant to former CCTMC head Rico Rey Francis Holganza in 2022.
Rail system
Gealon said the rail system is the future of the city’s public transport system. He said it is best to introduce more transport solutions in the city, especially rail transport in the form of trams and trains.
He said that some of the major cities in the world, such as Turkey; Raipur, India; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China, Dubai, UAE; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Nis, Serbia; Antalya and some Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand have been operating a metro rail system for the longest time.
Villarete, however, said this “remains to be seen.”
“It could be, but the final determinant would be economic viability,” he said.
Villarete noted that the final decision on which project the government should pursue lies with the National Economic and Development Authority – Investment Coordinating Committee (NEDA-ICC).
“(The) NEDA-ICC’s decisions are always based on that, and that’s why I always advise proponents to stick to the Economic Internal Rate-of-Return figures in making decisions, including that of making announcements,”
He said the NEDA-ICC will be the final determinant of what is feasible and what is not.
Feasibility study
Gealon also earlier said it is now a matter of necessity that Cebu City would welcome proposals for the conduct of feasibility studies for metro rail up to its eventual construction.
He also said that a ferry service could significantly reduce the number of cars on the road. He suggested that a ferry route could be introduced from South Road Properties to the Marina area near the airport.
Villarete, for his part, said that ferry services for Lapu-Lapu City had been considered in the past but have yet to materialize. He noted that these services are more about offering scenic alternatives than improving fuel efficiency.
He added that there had been discussions about linking Kawit Island to the Marina Mall/Cebu Yacht Club area, which would not only serve as a practical alternative for airport access but could also offer additional tourist activities.
“But this is not for regular airport users who usually want to go to the airport fast,” he said.
“A feasibility study would be a requirement for that,” he added. / JPS
