THE Cebu City Traffic Management Coordination (TMC) Board has teamed up with its counterpart in Talisay City to address the worsening traffic condition between their boundaries at the South Road Properties (SRP) and Barangay Bulacao.
During an interview on “Beyond the Headlines,” SunStar Cebu’s online news and commentary program on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia emphasized the significance of Talisay City’s cooperation in tackling the traffic situation in the area.
Garcia, along with Cebu City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, has been tasked by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to oversee the traffic situation in the city’s south district. Rama, in turn, will focus on managing the traffic in the north district.
In his recent meeting with the City of Talisay Traffic Operation Development Authority (CT-TODA) Chief Jonathan “Joy” Tumulak, Garcia said they discussed strategies to mitigate traffic along the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) and N. Bacalso Avenue, situated in the South Road Properties (SRP) and Barangay Bulacao, respectively.
Garcia said one of the initiatives they implemented was the closure of the makeshift U-turn slot near the Cebu City Transportation Office and the Il Corso Mall in the SRP.
The plan for that particular section of the highway was to establish a traffic junction or intersection and install traffic lights, Garcia said.
However, a safety concern arose regarding the northbound motorists who speed towards that section from Talisay, especially after passing an elevated bridge and upon entering the Cebu City boundary.
To remind motorists to slow down, Garcia said they will install signage and rumble strips in that section of the road.
In the part of N. Bacalso Avenue, Garcia said the plan was to implement a “No Right Turn” policy on the road section cornering the street going to Our Lady of Consolation Parish-Recoletos de Laray to alleviate the traffic going south.
However, Garcia clarified that all discussions are under deliberation and subject to change for finalization, as the Cebu City Government has its eye on addressing the traffic congestion that may happen during the 2024 Sinulog Grand Parade and Ritual Showdown at SRP on Jan. 21.
Sinulog preparation
With the staging of the 2024 Sinulog Grand Parade and Showdown at the SRP, Garcia said a suggestion was made to close one lane of the CSCR to make it available exclusively for dancers and spectators, while opening the opposite lane as a two-way street.
Garcia added there would be a meeting with the CT-TODA counterparts on Monday, Jan. 8, to finalize the proposal aimed at preventing gridlocked traffic during Sinulog 2024, with an immediate public announcement to follow.
He also said the City Government plans to deploy passenger vehicles to transport commuters who may be affected by the anticipated shortage of public transportation during Sinulog 2024.
Garcia added that in his next meeting with the counterparts in Talisay City and other concerned stakeholders, they would look into the existing concerns on the traffic congestion along the boundaries of both cities.