Works at Cetram University: Improvement or annoyance?
The remodeling works at the Universidad station on Metro Line 3 continue. And yes, the crowds too. The capital government promises that all this will have a happy ending on April 30.
That is the magic date for the “first stage” of rehabilitation. The jewel in the crown: a bicycle parking lot with 268 spaces, 24/7 surveillance and card access. Sounds good, on paper.
“A first stage of rehabilitation of the Cetram and opening of the bicycle parking lot must be completed on April 30,” says the official statement.
The investment, according to them, is 20.75 million pesos. They say it will benefit 250 thousand users a day. The numbers sound round, too round. I always wonder: who keeps that accounting in the midst of chaos?
Meanwhile, in the real world: change of asphalt surface, platforms made a mess and informal merchants being relocated. They talk about 143 positions that “will have rehabilitated spaces.” A fancy euphemism for “we moved them.”
More than just a bike parking space
The plan includes seven escalators, a new elevator and the total reorganization of the business. They will also rehabilitate the five existing elevators. Sounds like a lot of work to accomplish in… less than a month?
The curious thing is the timing. All this will connect with the future Cablebús Line 4. And coincidentally, they join the renovations in Cetrams such as Tasqueña and Huipulco.
“As part of the actions to improve mobility towards the Soccer World Cup,” the text acknowledges.
There it is. The eternal justification: the international sporting event. How many rushed works have been sold with that excuse? Collective memory is short, but journalistic archives are not.
The Regulatory Body manages 36 Cetrams where up to 27 thousand trucks circulate daily. They serve between 5 and 6 million users. With such large numbers, any failure is not a minor detail.
They promise substantial improvements. Users experience temporary disorder. History will tell if this million-dollar investment really transforms the daily experience or only renews facades for the official photo.
