Traffic situation around Fuente Osmeña Circle in Cebu City on Monday, August 3, 2020 | Screenshot via CDN Digital Live Video by Alven Marie Timtim
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Moderate to heavy traffic greeted motorists and passengers on their way to work in Cebu City on Monday, August 3, 2020.
Netizens reported of bumper-to-bumper traffic being experienced in several roads and major thoroughfares in the city during the first Monday under a state of general community quarantine (GCQ).
Alma Casimero, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) chief, said slow-moving traffic is expected under GCQ, which allowed several public utility vehicles (PUVs) and selected privately owned vehicles to ply on the road.
“We’re now under GCQ so more vehicles will be running on the streets. We now have private vehicles, and more taxis deployed on the roads. As a result, traffic is expected,” Casimero told CDN Digital in a phone interview.
Casimero also said road closures in at least 11 city roads remained in effect as of Monday and could have also contributed to the morning traffic.
“We haven’t removed the railings and no-entry signs of these roads since we are yet to receive an official advisory from the city government,” she said in Cebuano.
READ MORE: CCTO closes 11 roads for traffic rerouting scheme starting Monday
She added that they will only lift road closures if the Office of the City Mayor instructs them to do so.
In the meantime, CCTO urged both passengers and motorists to always abide by health protocols even if the city’s quarantine mode has been recently downgraded.
“Let’s not forget to wear masks, and for our drivers, always bring the requirements needed in our travels such as licenses, registration papers, permits,” Casimero said.
Cebu City was placed under GCQ by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID) starting August 1 to August 15. /bmjo
Read: Cebu City downgraded to GCQ