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Thursday, November 30, 2006
Traffic group suggests odd-even plan for summit
CEBU CITY -- Some busy roads in Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities will be closed for a total of three hours and 10 minutes Friday, when organizers conduct a dry run of the traffic arrangements for the Southeast Asian leaders' summit.
The longest closure is scheduled to last one hour and 20 minutes.
From 7:40 to 9 a.m., the authorities will close the roads from the Waterfront, Marco Polo and Marriott hotels in Cebu City all the way to the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City's reclamation area.
The road from the CICC to the Shangri-la and Hilton properties in Lapu-Lapu City, including the Marcelo Fernan bridge, will also be closed during that time.
These roads will again be closed from 3:40 to 4:30 p.m.
From 10 to 11 a.m., the ceremonial routes connecting the CICC to the hotels in Mactan Island will again be closed, but those in Cebu City are not included during this part of the dry run.
Except for these specific hours, the roads will remain open.
The dry run is supposed to let people experience how their schedules will change during the summit, but since Friday is a non-working holiday, the full effect of the road closures may not be felt.
Another dry run may be conducted next week.
Quickness
Ambassador Marciano Paynor said they announced the specific times of the road closures so residents can plan their schedules for the day. Paynor heads the National Organizing Committee (NOC) for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit from Dec. 10 to 14.
"But while we have given these times, it does not mean that the roads will be closed the whole time. As soon as the convoy passes, the roads will be opened again," Paynor said.
The NOC and the Cebu Organizing Committee (COC) met for the last time Wednesday at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City.
Road closures were also resorted to during previous Asean summits abroad, Paynor added.
Chief Superintendent Silverio Alarcio, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 director, told the Cebu City Council Wednesday that Friday's dry run will also test the security personnel's "quickness to close the road."
At least 152 convoys will be involved, which will leave the hotels one after the other in 30-second intervals.
3 cities
The ceremonial routes include Veterans' Drive, Salinas Drive, Cardinal Rosales Ave., Juan Luna Ave. and Sergio Osmeña road, all in Cebu City; Ouano Ave., Plaridel St. and United Nations Ave., all in Mandaue City; the Marcelo Fernan bridge and; M.L. Quezon National Highway and Circumferential Road, both in Lapu-Lapu City.
Paynor told Sun.Star that the 7:40 to 9 a.m. dry run is supposed to simulate the summit delegates' trip from the airport to their hotels in Cebu and Lapu-Lapu cities.
Of the 16 countries participating in the summit, 11 delegations will be billeted in Shangri-la's Mactan Island and Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa, three in Marco Polo Plaza Hotel and one each in the Waterfront Hotel and Casino and Marriott Cebu City Hotel.
For the 10 to 11 a.m. dry run, organizers will check the delegates' route from the hotels in Lapu-Lapu City to the CICC.
For the 3:40 to 4:30 p.m. dry run, they will simulate the delegates' trip from the hotels to the Shangri-la.
At least 350 vehicles will be used by the official delegations alone, said Paynor.
As for the airport operations, Paynor emphasized that there will be no cancellations of commercial flights during the summit.
Odd-even
However, there are expected delays in flight schedules, ranging from 15 minutes to 30 minutes, for those commercial flights that coincide with the arrival or departure of the heads of state.
Paynor said the Japanese Government, with their own aircraft and crew, conducted their own dry run at the Mactan Airport Wednesday and were satisfied with the arrangements.
As for residents living along or near the Asean ceremonial route, they will have "to either report to work early or late."
The route will be closed two hours before the convoys pass, and two hours before they leave the venues for their hotels, said Alarcio.
Directional signs will be in place to guide motorists.
Chief Inspector Jonathan Abella said they already requested the City Council to approve the proposed road closures and rerouting plans, as well as allow them to implement the odd-even scheme for vehicles. Abella heads the route security and traffic control task group in Cebu City.
The scheme works by allowing only vehicles with license plates ending in even numbers, for example, to ply the streets on particular days.
Beyond Busay
This way, the number of vehicles on the road will be significantly reduced.
City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, committee on transportation chairman, said he was satisfied and surprised that Alarcio himself showed up in Wednesday's council session.
The dry run "should resemble closely what to expect in the actual Asean days," Jakosalem said.
Busay and southern mountain barangay residents, as well as those from the southwestern towns of Balamban, Asturias and Tuburan, are in for a long day.
Veterans Drive, which starts in Busay down to JY mall in Barangay Lahug, as well as Salinas Drive will not be available for motorists and commuters alike.
Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., suggested that mountain barangay residents going toward Talamban could pass through Barangays Sirao, Guba, Agsungot and Binaliw, then on to Talamban, to ease congestion in the Busay alternative road. (ROV/RHM)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (November 30, 2006 issue)
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