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Saturday, November 18, 2006
December 1's dry run for Asean will test traffic
CEBU CITY -- No vehicles will be allowed inside Mandaue City's reclamation area from December 10 to 15, when the heads of Southeast Asian states meet in Cebu.
To limit business disruptions, establishments along or near the ceremonial routes for next month's summit should make their deliveries only from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on those dates.
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Except for three intersections where crossing will be allowed, the routes will be closed to all vehicles while the delegates are still in the designated venues of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.
In Cebu City, the ceremonial route covers Veterans Drive, starting from the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Salinas Drive, Juan Luna Ave., Cardinal Rosales Ave., F. Cabahug St. and Sergio Osmeña Ave., which leads to the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
These roads will be reopened to traffic only after the delegates are back at the Waterfront Hotel, Marriott Hotel and Marco Polo, where they will be billeted, said Nagiel Bañacia, Cebu City Asean task force head and the Cebu City Government's information officer.
The route inspection next Saturday, November 25, will not affect traffic much. However, motorists will have to prepare for the dry run on December 1.
Chief Inspector Jonathan Abella, head of the Asean Task Group for route security and traffic control, said that the November 25 exercise is just meant to give the delegates' vehicle drivers a feel for the ceremonial route. Some of the drivers are from out of town.
This is the same route that the delegates' spouses will take for a December 11 dinner at the Malacañang sa Sugbo and the December 12 brief tour of Cebu City.
On December 12, the spouses will also go to Talamban for the unveiling of the Asean Friendship Park and then to the Basilica del Sto. Niño. They will make stops at the Capitol and Colon St.
"This time, the streets will be closed to all traffic," Bañacia added.
Motorists are urged to prepare for December 1, when the ceremonial route will be closed to all traffic to simulate conditions during the summit.
Major streets in Mandaue City will likewise be closed during the December 1 dry run.
Portions of M. C. Briones Highway, United Nations Ave., Plaridel St., A. C. Cortes Ave. and Hernan Cortes Ave. will be affected by a rerouting scheme that will be implemented during the summit next month.
Narrow roads in Barangays Looc and Cambaro are expected to become chokepoints since these are the only streets open to traffic to and from Mactan Island.
Traffic Efficiency Development and Management (Tedman) executive director Damian Enriquo Ouano said that people who have to catch flights at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport will have to leave earlier to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
The Tedman traffic advisory said that the reclamation area will be totally closed from December 10 to 15.
From December 11 to 15, all public utility jeepneys (PUJs) coming from southern Cebu to Cebu City going to SM City and North Bus Terminal will only be allowed up to A. Soriano Ave., J.C. dela Veyra St. and Sergio Osmeña Ave.
Those from the northern part of Cebu will be allowed only up to Kaohsiung St.
Three intersections, though, will be open to traffic crossing the ceremonial route. They are Archbishop Reyes-Juan Luna, M.J. Cuenco Ave.-Juan Luna and Sergio Osmeña-Juan Luna.
But once the delegates head back to their hotels, these intersections will be closed to all other traffic for 10 to 15 minutes, Abella said.
His advice: Follow traffic signs and get instructions from traffic personnel who will be deployed in the affected areas.
Asked if the ban on vehicles on the ceremonial route includes those used for emergencies, like fire trucks and ambulances, Abella said the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 has prepared contingency measures for such vehicles.
Since Veterans Drive is the only public road leading towards Busay and the mountain barangays, City Hall is negotiating for an alternative way through the Ma. Luisa Subdivision, said Bañacia.
As part of Mandaue's summit preparations, the Tedman has started apprehending drivers of trisikads and tricycles operating without permits.
The units will be confiscated if these don't have franchises and permits, Ouano said. Only the units that have original and non-expired permits will be released.
Last Thursday, at least 100 trisikads from Barangays Subangdaku, Centro and Looc were confiscated and brought to the Tedman office after these were found operating without permits.
Another basis for the confiscation of the units is the overcharging by drivers, Ouano added. (RHM/AAG/Sun.Star Cebu)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (November 18, 2006 issue)
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