Finally, Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama admitted how horrible the city’s traffic situation is or was last month when everyone was on a holiday mood. However, during his program on the Cebu City Government’s Sugboanon Channel “Ingna’ng Mayor,” he said it was not that difficult to solve the problem.
Indeed, there is a solution to every problem like the “horrible” traffic last month as we celebrated Christmas. But with several events coming up in the next few weeks leading to the Sinulog festivity, let us expect more horrific traffic, unless, of course, the Traffic Management and Coordinating Committee (TMCC) has already come up with a better route map for motorists during the Sinulog.
What made the traffic situation even worse last month was the knee-jerk solution implemented by TMCC that prohibited left turns on intersections without traffic lights that surprised motorists who were caught unawares by the sudden change of traffic routes.
Imagine, motorists from Apas going to Mandaue City or Talamban passing through Gaisano Country Mall were barred from turning left to Gov. Cuenco Ave. Instead, they were directed to make a U-turn underneath the flyover at the intersection of Salinas Drive and Archbishop Reyes Ave., which is about a kilometer from Country Mall.
The same is true with motorists exiting from their residences and establishments like the Cebu Country Club and others located along Gov. Cuenco Ave. They could not make a left turn and were directed to make a U-turn underneath the flyover in Banilad.
With the resignation of the TMCC chairman, City Councilor Rey Gealon, who asked Mayor Rama in his resignation letter to engage “another who is more able and capable” to do the job as TMCC chairman, Rama appointed himself to manage the traffic in the city’s north district while he named Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and Councilor Joy Pesquera to take care of the traffic situation in the city’s south district. Garcia is asking for his formal appointment. I know Mayor Rama is not a comedian, but was he kidding?
With due respect, the mayor could have sought the assistance of people who actually know about traffic management, if not hire experts on road traffic management since the City can afford to do so. I could only wish Rama, Garcia and Pesquera to synchronize their actions.
And why did Rama choose the north district with special mention of the Banilad-Talamban area, Archbishop Reyes Ave. to Brgy. Pit-os and the portion of Gorordo Ave. by Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion? I will leave it to your imagination.
Opening new roads is one solution to the problem. But the question is in which part of the city? Using private roads for public use needs appropriation by the City Government or an agreement with the owners.
Installing modern traffic lights and monitoring system in all intersections, big or small, is another immediate solution that perhaps the city leadership has overlooked. With modern traffic lights installed in all intersections, the signal lights can be synchronized from one intersection to the farthest so vehicles can move faster.
Construction of the viaduct, overpass, or elevated tracks, more popularly known here as skyways, is a long-term solution to the city’s worsening traffic. But the problem is the mayor does not want anything to obstruct his view of the sky.
Do you remember? Mayor Rama, in his first term, objected to the proposal of then Cebu First District Rep. Eddie Gullas to build a monorail from Talisay City to Mandaue City that would cross Cebu City because he didn’t want elevated railway tracks to obstruct his view of the sky.