No special truck ban during APEC

THERE will be no traffic rerouting and special truck ban during the second round of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Cebu which will start tomorrow until Oct. 14.

Glenn Antigua, acting chief of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM), said they did not receive any advise from the local organizing committee asking for the implementation of a truck ban along the APEC route.

But he said the regular truck ban from 5 p.m to 7 p.m on the national highways will still be implemented.

The Transportation Ministerial Meeting will start tomorrow while the Energy Ministerial Meeting will be on Oct. 13 to 14.

Antigua said he expects that traffic flow will be normal tomorrow until the end of the meetings in Cebu as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 6th District Engineering Office will suspend their ongoing drainage project on Plaridel Street and the repair of the new bridge.

Engr. Renault Ricardo, assistant district engineer of the DPWH 6th District Engineering Office, in a text message, told Cebu Daily News that they had instructed the contractors to temporarily stop working.

“Project is suspended starting today (yesterday) until the end of APEC,” he said.

The DPWH is set to continue the drainage project on Plaridel St. and the replacement of old rubber expansion joints on Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge on Oct. 14.

In a related development, mall security officials underwent a refresher course training for strengthened police visibility as part of the preparation for the second round of the APEC meetings as well as for the holidays.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, spokesperson of site security task group for Cebu, said that the seminar held yesterday at the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO-7) will add knowledge of mall security personnel on how to secure their establishments.