Traffic official amenable to opening bridge to PUJs

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A MANDAUE City traffic official welcomed Provincial Board (PB) Member Arleigh Sitoy’s proposal to open the Cansaga Bay Bridge to public utility jeepneys (PUJs).

However, PUJ drivers, especially those plying northern towns, may not share the sentiment of Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue Chief Edwin Ermac.

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He said the route toward the bay bridge is known to be inaccessible to commuters, Ermac said.

Ermac told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that the drivers are worried their livelihood will be affected if traffic is rerouted to the bay bridge.

However, he said the plan has two advantages.

Not only will it divert traffic from the Cebu North Road, which is particularly heavy in barangays near Consolacion town, it will also prevent colorum vehicles like motorcycles-for-hire (habal-habal) from taking advantage of commuters who want to cross to Consolacion.

Assistance

Ermac said several proposals have been submitted to the City Council to open a new franchise within the bay bridge area, but there have been no applicants.

He said if the proposal pushes through, they will help any PUJ driver or operator who wants to apply for a franchise within the area.

He said they are devising a new PUJ route on the Cebu North Road that will divert traffic in the corners of Barangays Pagsabungan, Basak, Canduman and other areas along the thoroughfare.

Sitoy’s resolution, which the PB approved last week, urges Mandaue City, Consolacion and Liloan to study the possibility of allowing public vehicles to use the bay bridge and highway.