Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. proposed moving the designated motorcycle lane along the Banilad-Talamban corridor from the roadside to the center of the road to reduce conflicts with jeepneys and stopped vehicles.
Councilors and local officials expressed differing views during the Aug. 25 executive session, with Councilor Alvin Arcilla raising safety concerns while Banilad Barangay Captain Lea Japson supported studying the proposal.
The City Council left the proposed lane configuration under further study for the Oplan BanTal traffic scheme, keeping the motorcycle lane on the right side of the road for now.
CEBU City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. has proposed moving the designated motorcycle lane along the Banilad-Talamban (BanTal) corridor from the roadside to the center of the road, saying this could reduce conflicts with jeepneys and stopped vehicles.
Alcover raised the proposal during the City Council’s Aug. 25 executive session on the Oplan BanTal Discipline Zone, which has been under full enforcement since Aug. 5 following a four-day dry run.
Under the current setup, motorcycles are directed to the outermost or right-side lane, where riders can encounter public utility jeepneys (PUJs) stopping to pick up or drop off passengers, as well as four-wheeled vehicles that stop or park along the roadside.
Proposal
Alcover said moving the motorcycle lane toward the center could give riders a clearer path while allowing jeepneys to continue loading and unloading passengers along the roadside.
He said motorcycles traveling in opposite directions could each be assigned a lane near the center of the road, while jeepneys and other vehicles remain on the roadside.
Alcover also argued that placing motorcycles between moving vehicles could encourage riders to be more cautious because they would have to remain alert to traffic on both sides.
Opposition
The proposal, however, drew safety concerns from Councilor Alvin Arcilla, who warned that moving motorcycles to the center could expose riders to conflicts with moving vehicles.
Arcilla said motorcycles could be squeezed when vehicles on either side move or change lanes, potentially putting riders at greater risk.
Rather than immediately adopting the proposal, Arcilla suggested that the City include it in its continuing evaluation of the BanTal traffic scheme.
The issue comes as the City Council continues to examine the implementation of Oplan BanTal, including how the designated lanes affect motorcycles, PUJs and other road users along the corridor.
Banilad Barangay Captain Lea Japson also raised the possibility of moving motorcycles away from the roadside, citing concerns over interactions between motorcycles and stopped jeepneys.
Japson said a motorcycle traveling beside a stopped jeepney could be placed in a vulnerable position, particularly when passengers are getting off the vehicle.
She said the City could study whether motorcycles would be safer in a center lane while jeepneys remain along the roadside.
Japson emphasized that she was offering the proposal for consideration and was not presenting herself as a traffic expert.
The council’s discussion leaves the proposed lane configuration for further study as the City continues to assess Oplan BanTal and its effect on road safety and traffic movement along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.
For now, the motorcycle lane remains on the right side of the road, while the proposal to move it to the center remains under consideration. / CAV