LA TRINIDAD, Benguet June 19—The Cordillera office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-CAR) said that a total of P1.4 billion is required to get into operation an initial 5.2-kilometer monorail system from Baguio City going 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 he said would 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 said.
He said that part of the preparatory works for the monorail project is the construction of the 5.2-kilometer rail from Slaughterhouse Compound up to the Provincial Capital and the assembly of the coaches for the monorail.
Sicat added that initially, a total 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 congestion in most parts of the areas.
Sicat said that the monorail project will be environmentally-friendly because it would use electricity to run the coaches instead of using fuel, thus, air pollution in the city and the capital town will be significantly lessened.
Sometime in December 2013, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo signed a memorandum of agreement with Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan that gave way to a feasibility study on the proposed monorail in the city but Mayor Domogan requested the agency to include the neighboring municipalities of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay to be serviced by the monorail project.
Sicat said the agency will coordinate with other government line agencies and concerned local governments once the project is put in place and the monorail will be ready by the start by 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 factors that had contributed air pollution and worsened traffic congestions, especially in the heavily populated areas of the city and the municipality.
The DOST-CAR official said the project feasibility study is now on its final stages and that appropriate validation and evaluation are being undertaken by technical personnel it is finalized and ready for submission to concerned local governments for approval and consideration. He also said that the DOTC will help in sourcing out funds for the eventual realization of the new transport project in the city.