Citom: Accident site is ‘well-lighted’, had few cars

The area where a Hyundai sedan driven by seaman Rustico Bas collided with a prime mover that was transporting a trailer filled with bags of cement at the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) of Cebu City’s South Road Properties was well-lighted.

So said Joy Tumulak, operations chief of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom), who reiterated that the Cebu City government was not remiss in reminding motorists not to go beyond the 40-kilometer speed limit in the SRP.

“After an ocular inspection yesterday, we found out that the area had complete lights, it was a well-lighted area. During the time of the accident, there were only a few vehicles also,” Tumulak said.

Last January, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama issued an order imposing a 40-kph speed limit in the SRP after a spate of vehicular  accidents that occurred there.

Bas, his friend Oscar Oñeo and three women identified as 45-year-old Rosete Capala, Alma Basalo and Basalo’s cousin Gwendolyn Basalo, died when the sedan they rode in swerved to the opposite lane, went over the traffic island and hit the prime mover driven by Danilo Cojo, a resident of barangay Tinaan, Naga City.

“The truck had a weight of 28 tons. At that weight and with the speed of 60-70 kph, the brakes won’t latch on quickly,” Tumulak said. Cojo is detained in the Parian police precinct.

“Our message to drivers is,  “Dili gihapon mokompyansa even if mingaw ang palibot, daghang suga ug minos and mga sakyanan (Don’t be complacent even if the area is quiet, well-lighted and there are few vehicles on the road). We should still observe the proper speed. No matter how many times we do changes and enforce traffic rules, it will be useless if motorists don’t follow them,” Tumulak said.

Prior to yesterday’s accident, Tumulak said Citom hasn’t recorded any more vehicular accidents in the area since the 40-kph speed limit was enforced.

Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) will meet today with the Police Regional Office and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to discuss the possibility of deputizing police personnel for traffic enforcement.

Joel Maloloyon, LTO-7 operations chief, said they will conduct a seminar on implementing Republic Act 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Drug Driving Act of 2013 within this month.

He said they will orient police personnel on roadside apprehensions and the use of the Alcohol Breath Analyzer (ABA) which can determine if the driver is drunk.

Maloloyon said their office received 10 ABA devices to be used by their 64 personnel. “For Cebu,  six breath analyzers will be given, two to Negros Oriental and the other two to Bohol,” he said.

He said they will focus their efforts in areas with the highest number of drunk-driving incidents like Cebu City, Dumaguete City and some parts of Bohol province.

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