Summary
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival defended the Banilad-Talamban traffic scheme after Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña accused him of receiving special treatment by using motorcycle escorts through heavy traffic.
Archival explained that his escort team acted as a "street sweeper" to manage vehicle flow, denying claims that he used escorts for personal convenience or publicity.
CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival on Monday defended the Banilad-Talamban (BanTal) traffic scheme after Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña accused him of setting a bad example by using motorcycle escorts to navigate through heavy traffic.
Osmeña raised the issue during a Cebu City Council executive session on Aug. 25, questioning how the city can expect the public to follow traffic rules if its top official receives special treatment.
“How can they discipline the public when the biggest violator is Mayor Nestor himself? He uses motorcycles to break through traffic,” Osmeña said.
The BanTal Discipline Zone covers the Gov. Cuenco Avenue corridor and aims to improve safety and keep traffic moving smoothly. Full enforcement of the project began on Aug. 5, 2026.
Mayor responds to escort claims
Speaking in an interview Monday, Archival said his travel through the area was not meant to give him an unfair advantage. Instead, he explained that he was in a vehicle to observe conditions and help manage the flow of vehicles, while personnel guided motorcycle riders into the correct lanes.
Archival compared his escort team to a "street sweeper," stating that their main goal was to organize traffic and guide drivers into proper lanes rather than provide him with special treatment or publicity.
“I’m not doing that for my convenience,” Archival said.
He asked the public for patience, acknowledging that drivers need time to adjust to the new rules and that full enforcement could take one to two months.
New adjustments for motorcycles
To ease congestion, Archival announced that the city is working alongside the Transportation Management Center to adjust lane layouts and give motorcycles more room on the right side of the road.
Crews will paint a new line extending about 1.2 meters from the existing blue line toward the gutter. Riders will not be strictly trapped in this zone and may move out of it to pass parked cars, trucks, or other road hazards.
The Mayor also called on drivers of four-wheeled vehicles to share the road and leave enough space for motorbikes to pass safely.
Prioritizing flyover safety
Archival also addressed concerns over motorcycle access to the Foodland flyover. He defended the decision to block riders from using the upper portion, pointing to serious safety risks and past accidents, including a crash that killed young riders.
He warned that crashes involving motorcycles and heavy trucks are especially dangerous. However, he noted that the city quickly stepped in to make operational fixes as soon as safety issues were identified.
Moving forward, Archival described BanTal as a work in progress that will improve over time rather than a fixed system that works perfectly right away. The city plans to keep monitoring traffic patterns and making updates as needed.
“Continue gyud ta,” Archival said.