A KIC (Keep Intersections Clear) campaign conducted by an advocacy group, Cebu Road Heroes (CRH), resulted in most drivers in Cebu City cooperating and following traffic instructions, said City Transportation Office (CCTO) Operations Chief Francisco Ouano.
The campaign aims to educate drivers and encourage them to always clear intersections to help lessen the traffic problem in the city.
CRH, a group dedicated to road discipline, assisted in manning the traffic in two intersections in the city, Q5 box junction and Robinson's Galleria box junction, on Saturday, March 11.
CRH volunteers with traffic enforcers from CCTO and Task Force Alpha also handed out flyers about KIC to drivers.
A box junction, or "junction box" as used by CCTO in its list of penalties, is a yellow box with an X inside and is typically found in road intersections. It is needed as a road traffic control measure designed to prevent congestion and gridlock at intersections.
Staying in the box for a prolonged period of time or blocking the intersection would result in an apprehension and an administrative fine of P500.
Peter Go, head of Cebu Road Heroes, said they implemented this advocacy on the streets for the first time.
"I-inform lang sila (drivers) unsa ila sayop. I think mao nay pinakadako nga impact nga makakat-on gyud sila ba (that's the biggest impact for them to learn)," he said.
"Mga motorista kung makakita nga nay manakupay, mo-follow gyud sila pero kung wala (When motorists see enforcers, they follow, otherwise [don't])... so I hope it [campaign] would be the first and not the last. Ang atoa man gud is disiplina man sa mga drivers," said Ouano, adding that it is the driver's responsibility to know and follow the traffic rules and regulations.
Lack of manpower
Ouano said there are 80 box junctions in Cebu City but not all enforcers are employed on each box junction.
The CCTO has to check the volume of traffic to make sure enough enforcers are deployed to intersections with heavy traffic.
He said the ideal ratio per box junction is about two to three enforcers, but admitted there is lack of manpower.
"Yes, actually mu-admit ta nga kuwangan gyud ta ug manpower pero even though naa pay enforcer sa atubangan, sometimes dili na nila ma ato kay naa gyud mga driver nga pasaway. Karon kita man gyud ta, nagbarog ta diri sa dan, naa gihapon mu-counterflow, naa gihapon musud sa junction box, wa gyuy disiplina," he said.
Counterflow is when a driver is going against the flow of traffic or driving on the wrong side of the street.
During the KIC operation Saturday, some drivers still violated the traffic rules on box junctions. Two drivers, one from a private vehicle and another from a public utility jeepney, were apprehended for counterflowing.
"Sa junction box, naa ni-violate, pero for now, ato lang sa gibadlong. Ato lang sa gi-tolerate kay gipahimungnoan o gi-remind lang ang driver nga nisud siya sa junction para makahibaw siya sa iyang sala," said Ouano.
"Sa duha kabuok nga ni-counterflow, di gyud ta mu tolerate ana. (For those who counterflow, we will not tolerate that.) I hope through implementation, through apprehension, makat-on sila, ma aware sila nga dili diay mao ila gibuhat, (they will learn that what they did is wrong)" he added.
Last November 2016, the group, with the help of CCTO, installed KIC signs along Metro Cebu to officially start the campaign.
Few violators have been recorded since CRH started the KIC campaign last November 2016 to January of this year.
The CRH initially spread word about KIC through its Facebook group and is hoping more volunteers would be able to help with the campaign.
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Cebu Road Heroes is also in partnership with Sumbongero, SunStar Philippines's group page, that accepts public concerns, including traffic violations. You can also share your concerns and join the group here.