The feasibility study presented by the Isabela State University – Cauayan Campus for HERT showed that the imposition of community quarantine resulted to a substantial decline of travel in recent months, it is expected that transport demand will surge again when the situation normalizes in the near future, thus the need to provide for a quality and affordable mass transit system in the province.

“Ang maganda locally-fabricated, gawa natin, at tingin ko with the expertise of our consortium kayang kaya nating gawin,” said Engr. Rommel N. Coroña, Supervising Science Research Specialist of DOST, as he guarantees the energy efficiency, safeness, and environmental-friendliness of the “Road Train In Action” compared to other conventional railway systems based on the technology demonstrations they’ve conducted in other provinces since the system will be clustered into four (4) routes.

Moreover, Engr. Christian Lidon, one of the designers of the HERT shared that the initial road lane design is infrastructure-wise because the hybrid road train will be using the existing roads, “we don’t need infrastructure, we only need the existing roads,” he emphasized.

Aside from those advantages, Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Atty. Eduardo Cabantac lauded the design for being PUV-friendly too, “maganda rin yung design hindi talaga considered yung mga bagahe para hindi pa rin mawalan ng mga pasahero yung mga traditional Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs).”

In his message, Governor Rodito Albano III expressed his gratitude to DOST for selecting Isabela as the pilot province of this innovative project that will pave the way for the province to be at the forefront of mass transportation in the years to come.

However, as the father of the province who thinks of his constituents’ welfare, in order to determine what steps to undertake, he suggested that the feasibility study must also include the possible effects of HERT to the PUV drivers and operators that will operate within the proposed routes of the road train.