Espinoza: Worsening traffic situation, bad roads

THE Mandaue City Council only has two members who are with the opposition. Thus, Mayor Jonas Cortes now enjoys the support of majority of the city councilors. During his first term, Cortes was like a lame duck because opposition councilors dominated the council.

In a chance chat about a month ago, Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede told me that they will deliver what they promised in the May 10 polls campaign because of the mandate the Mandauehanons gave them.

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But with only a few more days left in the first 100 days of his term, Mayor Cortes and his team still have still to fulfill their campaign promises to Mandauehanons.

Traffic in the city during peak hours has turned from bad to worse. Traffic laws, rules and regulations are being violated with impunity by drivers of trisikads and tricycles. Illegal parking is not attended to.

Pedestrians cross the streets anytime, causing the traffic to jam even when the green traffic light is on. The outnumbered traffic enforcers are unable to stop or apprehend jaywalking pedestrians.

Traffic along the University of Cebu in Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) near the first Mactan-Mandaue bridge has gotten worse as students cross the road anytime after the iron railings that divided the four-lane A.C. Cortes St. were removed.

A.C. Cortes is a national road and is classified as a highway. A skywalk built across this road has become a white elephant after the iron railings were removed.

Mandaue City Administrator Briccio Boholst was surprised when I asked him regarding the removal of the said iron railings. He doesn’t even know who did it.

So where are the iron railings now? Were these it sold to a junk shop and someone benefited from the sale? Wake up, Commission on Audit!

On our way home from Lapu-Lapu City the other night, students crossed the road even against speeding vehicles. They were so lazy to climb the skywalk that they just risked being hit by speeding motor vehicles.

Mayor Cortes should give priority to the effort to solve the city’s worsening traffic situation. The city should install traffic lights in busy intersections and hire and train more traffic enforcers. Lastly, trisikads should be banned from main streets.
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One does not have to go around looking for dilapidated streets in Cebu City since 90 percent of the roads need attention. In my daily work routine, I consider only Osmeña Blvd. to be in good shape. The rest of the city’s streets need repair.

At least Mayor Michael Rama, before his 100 days in office ends, has realized that city roads need repair. I heard the launching of an “asphalt storm” before the May 10 polls, but the asphalting came in trickles.

The asphalt storm that the city’s administration candidates bragged about before the elections was only a band-aid remedy. City Hall’s Department of Engineering and Public Works only covered with asphalt the potholes, some of which were as big as moon craters.

After the May 10 polls and with the onset of the rainy season, the asphalt got washed away. The roads are back to their old condition – rugged and bumpy. What a waste of people’s money. And what have we done as taxpayers?

Again, COA pagmata na mo uy! P-Noy administration na ron.

(elespinoza53@yahoo.com)