LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Cordillera office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-CAR) here disclosed a total of P1.4 billion is required to operationalize the initial 5.2-kilometer monorail from Baguio city up to the Provincial Capitol within the next two years.
Dr. Julius Caesar V. Sicat, DOST-CAR regional director, said the final feasibility study will first be presented to the local officials of Baguio and Benguet before the scheduled construction of the environmentally-friendly monorail that will help address the major traffic and air pollution woes of Baguio and La Trinidad.
“We are optimistic that concerned local officials of Baguio and La Trinidad will endorse the project so that we will be able to proceed to the next stage of putting up the appropriate facilities taking into consideration issues on road-right-of-way among others,”Sicat stressed.
He cited part of the preparatory works for the realization of the monorail project t is the construction of the 5.2-kilometer rail from Slaughterhouse Compound up to the Provincial Capital and the assembly of the coaches that will be used for the environmentally-friendly mode of transport that would ease up the worsening traffic congestions within the central business districts of both localities.
According to him, an initial of six coaches with each coach having a total capacity of 120 passengers will be used to jumpstart the operation of the monorail in the city and the capital town which would contribute in lessening the congestions in most parts of the areas to be traversed.
Sicat underscored the monorail project will be an environmentally friendly one because it will be using electricity to run the coaches instead of using fuel, thus, air pollution in the city and the capital town will be significantly lessened.
It can be recalled that sometime in December 2013, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo signed a memorandum of agreement withBaguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan for the conduct of a feasibility study for the put up of a monorail in the city but Mayor Domogan requested the agency to include the neighboring municipalities of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay as part of the areas of coverage of the monorail project in order to empower people to use alternative modes of transportation apart from private and public utility transport.
Sicat disclosed the agency will coordinate with other government line agencies and concerned local governments once the project will be put in place and the put up of the monorail will be ready by the start of next year.
He said it is high time for local residents to embrace a new mode of transport in order to lessen the number of those contributory to air pollution and the worsening traffic congestions, especially in the heavily populated areas of the city and the municipality.
The DOST-CAR official cited the project feasibility study is on its final stages and that appropriate validation and evaluation are being undertaken by the hired technical personnel before the finalization of the same and its submission to the concerned local governments for approval and consideration.
He cited the agency will help in sourcing out the required funds for the eventual realization of the noble transport project in the city. By Dexter A. See
