Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. called for broader consultations and an executive session following a sudden motorcycle ban and fast reversal during the Aug. 5 dry run of Oplan BanTal.
The traffic scheme implemented by CCTO head Raquel Arce temporarily barred motorcycles from the Banilad flyover before the previous arrangement was restored on Aug. 6 due to concerns from riders and drivers.
Alcover urged city officials to evaluate the dry run data, explain the basis for the changes, and include motorists, transport groups, businesses, and residents in future traffic planning discussions.
CEBU City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. is calling for broader consultations following a sudden motorcycle ban that was put in place and quickly canceled during a recent trial of the city's traffic scheme, Oplan BanTal. He wants city officials, drivers, and local communities to sit down together and figure out a better way forward.
Quick ban and fast reversal
During the initial dry run of Oplan BanTal on Aug. 5, motorcycles were temporarily barred from using the flyover in Barangay Banilad. However, the previous traffic arrangement was restored on Aug. 6, just one day after the dry run began.
The traffic arrangement was implemented by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), headed by Raquel Arce, upon approval of the Traffic Management Council. Alcover said his office received concerns from motorcycle riders, particularly habal-habal drivers and transport network vehicle service (TNVS) operators, who were affected by the change.
“They are asking not merely for convenience, but for a traffic system that is properly planned, clearly communicated, and responsive to actual conditions,” Alcover said.
Learning from real road testing
In a privilege speech on Aug. 11, Alcover urged the City Council to convene an executive session with traffic officials, transport groups, affected communities, and business establishments to review the program.
For Alcover, the experience showed why major traffic changes should be tested and evaluated under actual road conditions.
“Sometimes, a dry run tells us something that planning alone cannot. It tells us how a traffic scheme actually behaves on the ground,” he said.
He said the experience should help the city determine what worked, what did not, and what could be improved before similar measures are implemented.
A call for community input
Alcover said consultation should involve motorists, motorcycle riders, public utility vehicle operators, TNVS and habal-habal drivers, pedestrians, businesses, and residents because traffic changes affect their daily activities.
Through the proposed executive session, Alcover wants CCTO and Traffic Management Council officials to explain the basis for the Aug. 5 changes, consultations conducted before implementation, objectives of the scheme, traffic conditions during the dry run, and reasons for restoring the previous arrangement.
He also proposed stronger public information efforts, more comprehensive traffic data and ground assessments, and a mechanism for considering feedback while traffic schemes are undergoing dry runs to build a safer, better-planned system for everyone. CAV