THE Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) is studying how to fully implement a rule requiring provincial buses to stay in the innermost lane as they travel through the city. The move is part of an effort to stop illegal roadside pickups and improve traffic flow along major corridors.
What’s happening
Since September 2025, the CCTO has intensified operations against provincial bus drivers who continue to load and unload passengers outside terminals within the city.
Some drivers still ignore rules despite repeated apprehensions, CCTO chief Raquel Arce said in an interview with SunStar Cebu’s online program Beyond the Headlines on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025.
Arce said some drivers and conductors continue these practices because “citation tickets issued by CCTO enforcers carry only limited penalties.”
This will change with the deployment of at least 12 CCTO enforcers deputized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO). These officers can now issue temporary operator’s permits (TOPs), which directly affect a driver’s record.
Arce said the new authority gives the City “teeth” to implement the policy.
“Sa ato pa, dili sila matintal nga mohunong (sa daplin). Igguwa niya sa bus terminal, kay innermost lane na siya hangtod sa mogawas sa Bulacao (In other words, they will no longer be tempted to stop on the roadside. Once they exit the bus terminal, they must stay on the innermost lane until they reach Bulacao),” she said.
What the law says
Under City Ordinance 2214 of 2009, provincial buses are prohibited from loading and unloading passengers within and beyond 30 kilometers of the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) unless the activity occurs at a bus company’s exclusive terminal.
“Igo lang ta nagpatuman sa unsay anaa sa balaud (We are only implementing what the law mandates),” Arce said.
The rule has been enforced before through the City’s “discipline zones.” From June to July, the CCTO applied it in the Banilad–Talamban area, which initially drew criticism but later improved traffic flow. In August, a similar zone was established from Elizabeth Mall (E-Mall) to Barangay Bulacao, targeting illegal bus stops along the southern corridor.
The missing link: bus stops
Provincial buses follow point-to-point (P2P) routes, meaning they can only load or unload passengers at designated stops. The problem, Arce admitted, is that Cebu City currently has none.
At the request of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, two temporary bus stops were set up near Cebu Institute of Technology–University and the University of San Jose–Recoletos to serve provincial routes.
Arce added that commuters also have the option to use modern public utility buses serving routes from Talisay, Minglanilla, City of Naga, San Fernando and Carcar to Cebu City.
Pushback from operators
Julieto Flores, president of the Cebu Provincial Operators Transport Cooperative, said in a text message to SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Oct. 9, that the policy “has been implemented since September 2025.”
However, he said operators are appealing for “at least four bus stops along the city’s southern corridor.”
Earlier, Flores criticized the new rules as “abrupt and disruptive,” saying that stakeholders were not consulted before implementation.
Why it matters
The bus way policy aims to prevent roadside loading and make Cebu’s roads safer and less congested. But without enough designated stops, it could also inconvenience passengers who rely on provincial buses for daily commutes.
The City faces a balancing act: enforcing discipline while keeping public transport accessible.
What’s next
Arce said they will continue studying the policy and consult with stakeholders to identify official bus stops. Once these are established, enforcement of the innermost-lane rule is expected to be stricter. / EHP