THE Edsa Busway Concourse Project will soon be a reality, and Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano touted the strong cooperation between the private and public sectors for making this possible.
“This busway concourse is part of our plan, our dream, to make Metro Manila a more livable city, especially for the commuting public and for pedestrians,” Rubiano said in her speech at the virtual groundbreaking of the project on Tuesday. She also thanked Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade as well as several private individuals, especially Eduardo Yap, whom she described as “foremost busway advocate.”
The construction of the first three concourses, she said, is one “clear and positive step in providing accessible, convenient and state-of- the-art walkways for commuters and pedestrians at our Busway stations.”
“This project is also a good showcase of public-private partnership. Through initiatives, suggestions and ideas from the private sector, we can realize projects through government funding,” she added.
Public-private partnerships, she stressed, are really the way to go as far as public infrastructure is concerned.
“The private sector cannot do it alone. The government cannot do it alone. There must be synthesis, there must be partnership and there must be meeting of the minds and cooperation,” the mayor furthered.
DOTr, 3 partners
The project was made possible after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) recently inked agreements with three private partners for the construction of Edsa Busway Bridges, each with a concourse.
The agreements were made with SM Prime Holdings., D.M. Wenceslao and Associates Inc., and Double Dragon Properties Corp. for them to put up the bridges in select locations.
Under the pact, the private partners will shoulder the construction of the busway bridges with concourse at the SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, President D. Macapagal Boulevard in Aseana City, and at Edsa near the corner of President D. Macapagal Avenue.
“As part of our commitment, we will ensure that the overhead bridges and passenger concourses are properly secured and well-maintained for the safety and convenience of all passengers and pedestrians. All these, we will undertake at no additional cost to the government,” SM Prime Holdings Inc. President Jeffrey Lim said.
D.M. Wenceslao president and CEO Delfin Angelo Wenceslao, and Double Dragon assistant to the president Atty. Jay Rashid Ugalingan shared the same objective.
The busway bridges will have a concierge, ticketing booths, turnstiles for the automatic fare collection system (AFCS), as well as ramps and elevators to provide accessibility.
The government started operating the Edsa Busway system last year, to complement the operations of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 and its bus augmentation program amid public transportation restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rubiano said the ongoing pandemic had made the busway with concourse a necessity.
“Along Edsa, we have modified our bus stops in order to prioritize our commuters while making them safe and protected at the same time. The modern bus concourse is an added solution to this adjustment,” she pointed out.
Image courtesy of www.pna.gov
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