Only three cops to handle Mambaling traffic

ONLY three police officers will be left to deal with what is expected to be a monster traffic congestion on Natalio Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City today.

Chief Insp. Randy Caballes, Mambaling police precinct chief, said the three police officers detailed at Macopa, F. Llamas and Bontores Streets would have to man the traffic in the area from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This came after all 24 traffic personnel deployed by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) in the area were pulled out by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to allow the Land Transportation Office (LTO-7) to handle the traffic there.

“We have to give LTO-7 the chance to do their job. Mangayo lang tag pasaylo sa mga (I am apologizing to our) constituents but we just want to point out that it is really the job of the LTO to manage the traffic in the city,” Osmeña said.

But Caindec also declined to deploy his personnel on Natalio Bacalso Avenue unless the mayor issues to him a legal statement declaring that he is unable to manage the traffic and will turn over responsibility to man the traffic to the LTO.

Caballes said he only had 11 personnel at his disposal and assigning more people to handle traffic would be difficult.

“We cannot really take over. We will only help to the best we can but we cannot assure the public of taking over,” he said.

The three police officers to be assigned at the N. Bacalso area near the underpass construction site would assume the work load of 24 traffic personnel who were detailed to seven roads surrounding the area.

Osmeña said the 24 personnel will be assigned to other areas that also need attention.

“Caindec said he will show us how to do it. Let him do it. This will allow our people to deal with overnight parking, jaywalking and others,” he said.
Caindec questioned the mayor’s statement that the LTO should manage traffic in the city, saying it is just talk.

“What defines Mambaling? Which areas are covered by ‘our’ responsibilities that he supposedly is turning over to us?,” Caindec said in a text reply to Cebu Daily News.

Caindec said his challenge to take over the traffic management of N. Bacalso comes with the condition that the mayor will resign if he is able to improve the traffic situation.

The dispute between Osmeña and Caindec stemmed from the mayor’s Facebook post last week which blamed the LTO for allegedly doing nothing to speedup the registration of motorcycles in the region.

The mayor said he had been receiving complaints from motorcycle owners who were fined P12,000 since their vehicles were not registered with LTO.
In a press conference, Caindec criticized the mayor’s statement and said the dealers should be blamed.

He said it is their policy to prohibit dealers from releasing the motorcycles of their clients before registration papers are completed.