Additional aides as Ban-Tal area seen to draw traffic

Motorists and commuters passing through the Banilad-Talamban corridor were advised to leave early to avoid today’s expected traffic congestion due to the opening of private and public schools at the area.
CDN File Photo

After a three-day holiday, Metro Cebu residents are bracing for heavy traffic due to the opening of classes for private schools today.

The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) asked motorists, especially parents who will have to drive their children to school, to leave their homes earlier than usual to avoid traffic congestion.

“We will just look at the situation tomorrow (today). But we already have traffic enforcers deployed in key areas,” CCTO operations chief Francisco Ouano said.

Among the most problematic areas to be closely monitored is the Banilad-Talamban (Ban-Tal) corridor.

Ouano said there are no traffic lights along this road where there are a lot of private and public schools.

“We have already detailed traffic enforcers in the (Ban-Tal) area. In fact, we have also deputized some of the security guards in the area to help manage traffic,” he said.

Another priority area is in Barangay Guadalupe, Ouano said. Police personnel will also be manning areas near schools within Cebu City to ensure the safety and security of schoolchildren.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor on police matters, said areas near schools are already included in the routine of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

“There will be police visibility. This is part of the heightened alert of our police that they should also check the schools. In the morning, police personnel will be near schools, after the start of the classes, they will then conduct foot patrol,” he said.

Tumulak also assured that kidnap threats, which spread especially on social media earlier this year, were actually not true.

But he advised parents to personally bring their children to school in the morning and fetch them later in the afternoon after classes.