Makati building owners submit plan for bus rapid transit system in CBD

A group of Makati building owners has submitted to the government an unsolicited proposal to develop a P1-billion bus rapid transit (BRT) system within the Makati central business district.

Anna Bautista Dy, vice president for strategic landbank management of Ayala Land Inc., which is part of the Makati Commercial Estate Association (Macea), said the umbrella organization had submitted the unsolicited build-operate-transfer (BOT) proposal to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) headed by Secretary Mar Roxas.

The BRT system, which will be owned by Macea, will have two elevated railway lines—LRT 1 on Pasay side and MRT3 on Edsa side—serving as feeders. If approved by the DoTC, this will be the first BRT system in the country.

Such a BRT system, envisioned to cut through Ayala Avenue, the CBD’s main thoroughfare, combines the speed and efficiency of a railway transit with the cost efficiency of buses.

The streamlined transport system is also intended to ease traffic flow within the CBD, complemented by the opening up of more pedestrian pathways intended to encourage more people to walk rather than use their cars.

“It would be taking advantage of the walkway system that Macea has invested in,” Dy said.

Other forms of transportation like the iconic jeepneys, Dy said, would feed foot traffic into the BRT system.

The proposed BRT system is part of the Ayala group’s P20 billion redevelopment program for Ayala Center.

Under the BOT rules, unsolicited proposals will be open to a Swiss challenge whereby other parties will have the chance to undertake the project at a better price, but the original proponent has the option to match the offer made by the best challenger.

Dy told reporters on Monday that redevelopment was on schedule and that the first phase of the program would be completed next year.