TO PREVENT road congestion, the Lapu-Lapu City Government will purchase a heavy-duty tow truck that will pull out large vehicles that bog down on the Marcelo Fernan and Mandaue-Mactan Bridges.
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said he came up with the plan after a dump truck stalled at the Marcelo Fernan Bridge last Nov. 29, 2019.
The City’s existing tow trucks do not have the capacity to pull out dump trucks, cargo trailer trucks and similar heavy-duty vehicles that encounter equipment failure.
Responders had to wait for the heavy equipment sent by the dump truck’s owner, David Justine Enterprise, before the vehicle was finally removed.
Because of the vehicle’s size, it took time before it was pulled out of the area.
This led to heavy vehicular buildup, causing several students and workers to run late for school and work.
With a heavy-duty towing truck, Chan said they will be able to prevent the same incident and keep motorists and commuters from being stranded while on the road.
He added that just one road mishap involving a collision or vehicular breakdown is enough to stall the movement of traffic on the bridges if the vehicles involved are not removed immediately.
“Our tow trucks have limitations so with that, we saw the need to purchase (heavy tow truck) since our tow trucks do not have the capacity to do that. At the time of the incident, the Mandaue City Government was also conducting a dry run for their new traffic scheme, which might have contributed to the congestion experienced that weekend,” Chan said in a mix of Cebuano and English. (GCM / RTF)