THE Philtram Transportation Consortium, Inc. is proposing the establishment of a rapid tram system to address traffic problems in Davao City.
The proposed Davao Rapid Tram (DRT), which can accommodate 300 people, was presented during the weekly session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on Tuesday, August 28.
"What we are proposing is the DRT. It combines the versatility of both the train and about three or four buses," Cerwin Eviota, Philtram chief relations officer, said during an interview with VoxPop Davao.
"We are pursuing this project in Davao, encouraged by the 'Build, Build, Build program' of the President," Eviota said.
Eviota said they will build a charging station to charge a tram for about 10 minutes and enable this to run for 25 kilometers.
During the privilege hour of Councilor Pilar Braga, Eviota said the route of the DRT will be guided by smart technology and sensors to avoid collision with nearby vehicles.
The DRT is designed to be friendly to persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant and lactating women, senior citizens and children.
"The kids can even play inside because of the stability of the Tram," Eviota said.
"It can even be driverless but para dili mahadlok ang mga tao, butangan lang nato og tao (It can even be driverless but so as not to scare the public, we will put a driver in each tram)," he added.
There will be two routes for the tram, the Ecoland loop and Lanang loop. The proposed fare is P10 and P15 for criss-cross or infinity loop. The amounts will be validated by the feasibility study.
A tram is a modern vehicle connecting three to four buses. It was developed in Zhuzhou, China. Once approved, Davao will be the first to have a tram system in the country.
