An official of the Department of Transportation (DoTR) affirmed to Edge Davao that the mock-up bus stop shelters in Mintal, Davao City, are meant to be temporary and that the government did not spend any money on their construction.
Photos of the mock-up bus stop shelters in front of a school in Mintal being demolished on Thursday circulated online. Some Dabawenyos expressed criticisms on the government, as demolishing the structures is a waste of government money.
Richard Villanueva, deputy project manager of DoTr- Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP), said the mock-ups were scheduled to be there for just a week to give Dabawenyos time to put in their feedback to help in the design before actual construction begins.
“The mock-up bus stop shelters were always meant to be temporary. It is part of the government’s promise to welcome feedback and suggestions to make the Davao Bus system work better for everyone. It’s about designing transport that’s inclusive, user-centered, and shaped by the people it serves,” he said.
Construction of bus stop shelters is among the components of the DPTMP, which is currently in the pre-construction phase.
Vilanueva said once DoTR has the final design of the bus stop shelters, it will commence construction of permanent structures.
“Once we have the final design of our sheltered bus stops, we will be constructing again, but this time, permanent structures na, meaning with better quality na po. Those mock-ups were just of temporary materials. We will be building at least a thousand stops all over the city,” he said.
Meanwhile, Villanueva clarified that the government did not spend any money on the construction of the mock-ups.
He explained that the construction of the mock-ups is part of the contract with the contractor who will build the bus stop shelters.
“Wala pong gastos ang government because these mock-ups are part of the contract of the builders po,” he said.
Last week, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon assured that the DPTMP will be realized and that the agency is fast-tracking the Right-Of-Way (ROW) acquisition and is eyeing to complete it this year.
Dizon said that currently, DoTr is at 60% accomplished in terms of ROW and expressed optimism that the agency can finish with the remaining 40% this year.
The project is an integrated bus network across a 672-kilometer road system, with five depots, three terminals, a driving school, 1,074 bus stops and 380 electric buses, and 720 Euro-V compliant buses operating with an intelligent transport system and an automated fare collection.
