P27M for traffic system upgrade

THE Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) board asked the Cebu City Government for a budget of P27 million to upgrade the city’s traffic signal system.

The board wants the amount included in the City’s next supplemental budget.

Under the two-page resolution, Citom Board Chairperson Ruben Almendras said there is already a need to upgrade the city’s traffic light system since it is already obsolete, adding that it is more than 20 years old.

The traffic signal system, which is the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS), was acquired by the City under the Metro Cebu Development Project III way back in 1991.

“Due to wear and tear from continuous operation in the last twenty-three years, our traffic signal system has degraded and in need of replacement or upgrading. The parts for repair of Scats are no longer available from any supplier given that the City’s version of Scats is already obsolete,” Almendras said.

“Without any intervention, the City’s traffic signal system will degrade further to the point of non-serviceability,” he added.

Aside from this, Almendras, in an interview yesterday, said there is a need to already upgrade the city’s traffic light system because of the International Eucharistic Congress in 2016.

Considering the City’s limited budget, Almendras said they are planning to implement the upgrading of the traffic signal system by phases.

Almendras said the amount needed to completely upgrade the traffic signal system is pegged at P280 million.

He said the P27 million will only cover the upgrading of the traffic signals in four intersections of the city. The City has 78 signalized intersections.

On what areas will be upgraded, Citom Executive Director Rafael Yap said they are proposing that it will cover the traffic signals at the South Road Properties-Mambaling area, North Reclamation Area particularly near the Cebu Ports Authority, Cabancalan area where Mandaue City and Cebu City meet, and at the IT Park.

Yap said, though, that their proposal will still have to be approved by the City Council.

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph