Bus rapid transit system dev’t to face major obstacles unless …

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) drumbeats that with the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) it will take only 15 minutes to get  from Bonifacio Global City (BGC) to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). This is attainable if VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) buses are invented, or if there is an exclusive special lane on Lawton Avenue in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, and Andrews Avenue, Pasay City, for these buses.

BCDA’s master development plan for BGC in the 1990s has been faithfully followed, and one can appreciate its well laid road network. However, BCDA’s master plan ended there. After BGC, the six-lane Lawton Avenue narrows down to four lanes up to Sales Bridge, thence Andrews Avenue to Naia. Aside from the South Luzon Expressway and Pasong Tamo Extension, Lawton Avenue has the six-lane Bayani Road and the four-lane McKinley Hills and McKinley West as tributaries. A new world-class office building under construction on McKinley West does not leave any leeway for Lawton Avenue expansion.

Likewise, the existing condominium buildings have maximized space utilization along Andrews Avenue, leaving no room for expansion of the existing Naia-bound two-lane road. The area in front of Gate 3 has likewise been occupied by squatters, and even a multipurpose building occupies expansion areas for Sales Bridge.

I suggest that a more efficient road network system be put in place before additional buildings further choke Lawton Avenue. The modernization and access to the train station near Sales Bridge should also be taken into consideration. Commuters from BGC to the airport can then enjoy the BRTS or take a taxi, if traffic flow is predictable and tolerable.

VICTORINO S. HINGCO, vshingco@yahoo.com