NEW traffic signal system and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were installed in the seven intersections in Mandaue City as part of the City Government’s effort to address the traffic problem.

Mayor Jonas Cortes led the inaugural switch-on of the modern traffic lights and CCTV cameras yesterday at the City Command Center.

The City Government spent P39 million for the additional traffic lights and 42 CCTV cameras as part of the second phase of Mandaue’s modern traffic signal system.

The Triune Electronic Systems Inc., a Manila-based technology firm, through its owner Peter Ong turned over a replica of a key to Cortes, Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede and architect Florentino Nimor, executive director of Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), as proof of the project completion.

Nimor said that the traffic lights and CCTV cameras were installed on the intersections in Barangay Canduman, Barangay Pagsabungan, below the flyovers in Barangays Maguikay and Subangdaku, and on UN Ave. and DM Cortes St. intersection.

Only CCTV cameras were placed on the intersection of Barangay Tabok, and at the intersection on A. del Rosario St. and S.B. Cabahug St.

Team can now monitor the traffic in the area because the CCTV cameras are connected to the City Command Center with the use of fiber optics.

“These modern traffic light system has a big advantage because the traffic assessment of the Team personnel on-field is now consistent with the command center’s monitoring,” Nimor said in Bisaya.

Unlike Wi-Fi connections, Cortes said the fiber optics will give a real time traffic situation on the intersections.

“The fiber optics technology that we are using to the CCTV cameras will lessen the need for traffic enforcers (to go to the area). So we can assign some of the Team personnel to other functions like monitoring the traffic violations,” Cortes said.

Aaron Sage Caparas of the City Planning and Development Office said the traffic lights and cameras will help in road monitoring and allow traffic enforcers to respond more quickly to traffic incidents.

“This can also be functional for the pursuit operations of the police” Caparas said.

Previously, the City spent P40 million for the first phase of the project. Josette Marie G. Rafaeles, USJ-R Mass Comm Intern