LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Paz Radaza included P40 million in the 2017 budget for the procurement of traffic lights as part of the city’s solution to decongest traffic.
Radaza said she appreciated Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s proposal on banning private vehicles during rush hours on both bridges, but this needs public consultation.
“It’s a good idea, but we have to call the katawhan (public on what would be their opinion) for that... Apil man sila sa publiko (They are part of the public so) why do they have to be singled out?” Radaza said.
Mario Napule, officer-in-charge of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS), had suggested that it would be effective to have a number coding of vehicles that cross the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.
Vehicles that usually pass the first bridge may be diverted to the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.
Napule said the CTMS, through the City Planning and Development Office, will submit a letter to the mayor recommending such a proposal.
Coding
Radaza was amenable to the number coding of vehicles.
She said this has long been the plan of the City.
“We were thinking of that, but nawala kay na-ease up gamay ang traffic (it was not immediately implemented after we noticed that traffic eased),” Radaza said.
As part of the solution, the City Government will purchase traffic lights to be installed in the 12 intersections in the City that are located on national and city roads.
With the traffic lights, Radaza said fewer additional traffic enforcers needed.
Radaza said they just included this in the City’s budget for 2017 because their request for the installation of the traffic lights to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was not yet realized.
Request
Radaza requested the DPWH to install traffic lights in Lapu-Lapu in 2014.
The City made another follow-up in 2015, but the DPWH informed Radaza that they also asked for updates from the Road Board Central Office if the budget intended for Lapu-Lapu was already available.
In Mandaue City, Mandaue Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing announced that the Mandaue Traffic Board voted last Tuesday to send a traffic volume reduction plan for the two bridges to the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board.
“We hope that the consideration of this plan can address the ever increasing volume of vehicles plying UN Ave., which is a terrible inconvenience to all commuters,” Quisumbing added.