CEBU may soon have an interagency committee that will oversee traffic management in its key cities.
Proposed by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Thomas Orbos to the members of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), the interagency traffic council will be similar to the Inter-Agency Committee on Traffic (I-ACT) in Metro Manila.
“If you honestly think this is something that you need right now, we can immediately begin the work,” the DOTr official said during the CCCI general membership meeting at the Bai Hotel in Mandaue City on Wednesday.
In Metro Manila, the I-ACT is composed of the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 Metro Manila mayors.
Support
The creation of the I-ACT in Metro Manila gives motorists the benefit of dealing with uniform rules and regulations, including uniform penalties for traffic violations.
Aside from LGUs and concerned government agencies, Orbos said the traffic council in Metro Manila is supported by various chambers, including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
“What can we do to move this forward? Let’s come up with a memorandum of understanding,” raised Orbos, adding that he will also present the proposed Cebu traffic council to the DOTr and the national government.
Sought for comment, CCCI president Melanie Ng said the chamber will officially write a letter to DOTr to assure its support and participation of the proposed council.
“If that’s a venue for us to come up with solutions and that will hasten the traffic infrastructure projects, then it will be a welcome development,” said Ng.
The CCCI president said traffic problems in Cebu affect ease of doing business, particularly in the delivery of goods and productivity.
In another development, Orbos said the Cebu traffic management masterplan study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be completed by August 2018.
The masterplan will examine options for public transportation, traffic management such as area traffic control, and possible additional links within and from Metro Cebu to Mactan Island, among others.
The DOTr official said his office welcomes unsolicited proposals on transportation projects that will improve mobility in Cebu. He asserted that Cebu not only depends on the Bus Rapid Transit, but on multi-transport options like light rail transit to solve traffic woes in the metropolis.