Urban Mobility and Social Life: Exploring Cebuano Commuters’ Perceptions On The DOTr - Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21840627Keywords:
Urban Mobility and Social Life: Exploring Cebuano Commuters’ Perception on the DOTr – Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System, Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT), Urban Mobility, Socio-Spatial Adaptation, Phenomenological Study, Transit Equity, Urban Infrastructure.Abstract
A qualitative phenomenological research design was used to investigate the experiences, socio-spatial adaptation, and perception of Cebuano commuters regarding the Department of Transportation (DOTr) - Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) system corridor. This research is theoretically underpinned by the Social Production of Space by Lefebvre, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Mobilities Paradigm, which sought to examine the effects of modern transit on the social production of space. The data collected consisted of interviews conducted with fifteen (15) respondents, including commuters who were workers, students, and a housewife, and were analyzed using the six steps of thematic analysis by Braun & Clarke. The findings show that transit modernization is experienced as a duality where the CBRT corridor creates systematic predictability, fast travel times, and protection from environmental threats, allowing for time management and psychological certainty. But at the same time, transit formalization calls for a sacrifice in behavior. More importantly, the findings of this study bring out the existence of such equity problems as physical barriers that exist for disadvantaged populations, such as the elderly population, and the aesthetic vs. functional problem that exists in the case of the weather-exposed and 'leaf-inspired' station designs. This research study shows that although the CBRT does well in terms of technical efficiency, other aspects of design and accessibility need to be considered to ensure equity.
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