If plans don’t miscarry, Cebu will soon have a modern, efficient and reliable light rail transit (LRT) system to keep pace with rapid population growth and economic expansion.

Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas has filed House Bill 310, seeking the establishment of the province’s first LRT system, in order to ease heavy motor vehicle traffic congestion in one of the country’s fastest-growing urban hubs.

“There is no question Cebu desperately needs a fast, safe, convenient and economical LRT system,” Gullas, a former Cebu provincial governor, said.

“This is the best time for the government to invest in a new LRT system for Cebu, with the peso strengthening against the US dollar,” Gullas said.

“Two years ago, it would have cost us P55 billion to put together a US$ 1-billion LRT system. Now, it would cost us only P46 billion to put up the same project,” he added.

Gullas’ initiative came as the national government prepared to reinforce Cebu’s infrastructure support under the Central Philippines Investment Program.

Under the program, Malacañang approved some P60.8-billion worth of fresh public infrastructure spending for Cebu up to 2010.

Of the amount, more than half or P33 billion would be initially allocated for the proposed Metro Cebu Mass Transportation System (MCMTS), thus matching Gullas’ initiative.

The MCMTS involves the construction of a modern railway network from Talisay City to the Municipality of Consolacion for the first phase, and from Talisay to Carcar City and Consolacion to Danao City for the second phase.

The system would be the country’s ninth and the first outside Metro Manila, which now has eight LRT channels that are either fully operational, under construction, or in the drawing boards.

Under Gullas’ bill, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) would be required to prepare and execute a plan to establish and operate the new LRT system.

The DOTC actually already has an initial plan to build a US$ 1-billion LRT system for Metro Cebu.

The department earlier forged a build-operate-transfer agreement with the AMA Group of Holdings Corp. for the construction of a 71-kilometer, three-phased LRT system that would run through Metro Cebu from Carcar in the south to Danao in the north.

However, project execution has been stalled, as the DOTC has found it difficult to get lower offers from other private contractors.

Meanwhile, the Central Philippines Investment Program also includes P18.88 billion for Cebu’s seaports; P6.3 billion for Central Visayas’ roads and bridges; P1.9 billion for the region’s tourism infrastructure; and P749 million for airports.

Incoming search terms:

• philippine transportation
• transportation in philippines
• lrt philippines
• philippine lrt
• philippine jeepney
• light rail transit system
• cebu transportation
• light rail transportation
• electric jeepney
• land transport modern time pictures

The Manila Light Rail Transit Purple Line is the second line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System. The line contains eleven stations and runs over 13.8 kilometers of mostly elevated track, with the exception of Katipunan station, which is underground. As the name implies, the line is colored purple on all LRT maps.

The line runs in a general east-west direction, linking the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Marikina and Pasig, as well as the municipality of San Juan. Passengers can transfer to the Yellow Line at Recto station, while passengers can transfer to the Blue Line at Araneta Center-Cubao station.

Before the launch of the Strong Republic Transit System, the Yellow Line was known as MRT Line 2, shortened to MRT-2, or the Megatren. The former names are still used colloquially. However, the purple color of the line dates back to its opening in 2003.

History of Completion / Operation

• April 5, 2003: Santolan to Araneta Center-Cubao
• April 5, 2004: Araneta Center-Cubao to Legarda
• October 29, 2004: Legarda to Recto

Map and stations

• Recto (interchange with Yellow Line)
• Legarda
• Pureza
• V. Mapa
• J. Ruiz
• Gilmore
• Betty Go-Belmonte (also known as Boston)
• Araneta Center-Cubao (interchange with Blue Line)
• Anonas
• Katipunan
• Santolan (also known as M.A. Roxas)

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/

Incoming search terms:

• light rail transit
• lrt line 2
• light railway transit
• lrt stations philippines
• lrt manila
• LRT station
• lrt purple line train
• katipunan station
• Light rail transportation Manila
• LRT transit

Philippines pioneer electric-powered jeepneys (e-Jeepney) rolled off Makati City last Friday (June 29,2007) in an initial test drive.

The 10 to 12-seater electric-powered version of the vehicle that has its origin in surplus US Army jeeps were developed by Greenpeace and the Makati City government and financed by the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer Inc (GRIPP) in an effort to encourage the use of alternative fuels as well as to reduce the effects of greenhouse gases on climate change.

The vehicles were made in China. Powered by five-horsepower electric motor engines with 12 batteries that, at full capacity, allow the vehicles to run 120 to 140 kilometers at around 40 kilometers per hour.

Batteries are charged for eight hours on ordinary 220-volt power sockets at a minimum cost of P120. In contrast, regular fume-spewing jeepneys guzzle P300 (US$6.50) or more of diesel each day.

Incoming search terms:

• jeepney philippines
• jeepney
• e jeepney
• e-jeepney
• e-jeepneys
• philippines jeepney
• electric jeep
• electric jeepneys
• e-jeep in the philippines
• e-jeep in philippines