The No Left Turn traffic experiment along the Banilad-Talamban (Ban-Tal) Road in Cebu City can only last for a month.
This was emphasized yesterday by Councilor Gerardo Carillo who said that according to City Ordinance 801 or the Cebu City Traffic Code, road use experiments will have to undergo the scrutiny and approval of the Cebu City Council after the trial period.
“The mayor can do that as a traffic experiment for one month, and then they will have to submit to the council a report and whether they will continue or not,” said Carillo who chairs the City Council committee on traffic management.
Carillo said the City’s traffic ordinance only limits traffic experiments for one month.
“If it goes beyond (30 days), it has to be passed to the council. It involves violations and imposing penalties. Therefore, it would be best for the council to conduct proper consultation and public hearing on the policy if they really want it continued,” he added.
Mayor Michael Rama last week gave the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management the green light to impose the No Left Turn scheme along the 8-kilometer stretch in the northern part of the city.
The aim was to speed up the flow of traffic by eliminating the number of stops during rush hours in the morning and afternoon.
The scheme drew mixed reactions from road users as well as establishments along the Ban-Tal Road prompting Rama to call for a dialogue with the public last Friday.
Among the agreements forged in the dialogue was the creation of a Banilad-Talamban Traffic Management Board.
Rama, during the event at the city hall’s Social Hall, handpicked 20 individuals who will join the Ban-Tal traffic monitoring core group which will be headed by businessman Bunny Pages.
The mayor has directed the City Legal Office to draft an executive order creating the traffic body.
NO CONSULTATION
Councilor Carillo said neither the Mayor’s Office nor Citom approached him or any member of the City Council traffic management committee to apprise them on the implementation of the traffic scheme in Ban-Tal.
“We were not consulted. But the mayor can do that as an experiment,” he said.
He said the councilors are willing to cooperate with the implementation of the mayor’s traffic experiment, but he underscored that City Hall should look for long term and not just “Band-Aid” solutions.
“The permanent solution should be widening, improving the traffic system and mass
transportation system. Although they’re gearing towards that direction. But right now, let’s see how it will improve the traffic condition,” Carillo said.
Pages, meanwhile, said the Ban-Tal Traffic Management Board will convene its first meeting on Wednesday. The members of the board will inspect the Ban-Tal Road and observe the effects of the scheme before the meeting.
Pages, who owns a school along Ban-Tal Road, said he has started talking to owners of establishments and properties that will be affected with the opening of four U-turn slots.
“I have talked with some owners and we will be adding four more U-Turn slots along Ban-Tal. We will start experimenting the new slots on Monday (today),” Pages told CDN.
The U-turn slots will be at Barcode near Holiday Spa, Bright Academy, Sto. Niño Village and the Family Park.
Pages claimed he already got the consent of the homeowners association of Sto. Niño Village and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) which owns the Family Park to allow the opening the of the U-turn slots.
“These areas were chosen since the distance between the original slots is very far. Like the U-turn slot when you’re coming from Banilad Elementary School is still 1.5 kilometers away. And before Family Park, the U-turn slot is in Cabancalan which is around two kilometers away,” Pages explained.
He said more “pocket lanes” will be created along Ban-Tal so as to minimize traffic congestion.
“We will be working with lot owners so we can have more pocket lanes. Eventually, we’ll no longer allow stops aside from the pocket lanes. Parking will not also be allowed,” Pages added.
The Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) earlier said they are looking at creating around 10 “pocket lanes”.
Citom executive director Rafael Yap said some of the “pocket lanes” will be put up across Country Mall, beside the University of Cebu, triangle property along J. Panis St., Cebu Country Club, Aboitiz and the stretch from Paradise Village to the Tesda flyover.
Yap said there are two existing pocket lanes — in Country Mall and Banilad Town Center.
“It’s a challenging situation. We’ll do our best to make the Ban-Tal stretch a model for managing traffic,” Pages said.
Related Stories:
Rama to host dialogue on BanTal road rule
Rama adamant on ‘No left turn’ in BanTal road
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