Rama to host dialogue on BanTal road rule

MONSTROUS JAM. Despite the “No left-turn” policy along the Banilad-Talamban road, traffic yesterday afternoon was bumper-to-bumper near the University of San Carlos-Talamban campus. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will today preside over a dialogue with stakeholders to discuss whether to continue the  ’No left turn’ rule at the Banilad-Talamban road.

The mayor ordered the implementation of the  rule  four days ago.

The dialogue will start at 9 a.m. at the city’s Social Hall. Representatives of schools, residential subdivisions, restaurants and other business establishments along the road were invited to the dialogue which would be open to the public.

“It will be a comprehensive meeting tomorrow. On our part, we will be ready to show (the before and after) images of the area. There are groups that are happy, but there are also groups who are worried,” Rama said in a news conference yesterday.

Rama said he is not calling the meeting  a “consultation”, but more of a presentation of what  City Hall has implemented and what the stakeholders can do to help solve the traffic congestion in the are. He earlier ordered the no-left-turn policy at all  intersections along the BanTal road. He described the situation as a “disaster” which was why he immediately ordered the measure .

As this develops, another “left-turn/U-turn area” for vehicles coming from Talamban and going to the city proper was designated at J. Panis St. so vehicles won’t have to go as far as the Tesda flyover to make a U-turn, the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) announced.

He also instructed city officials to recover the sidewalks. The City Hall’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, Enhancement (Probe) team will demolish obstructions along the area.

Among those that will be affected is the fence of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) along Salinas Drive which will have to be moved farther in.

TESDA-7 Director Rosanna Urdaneta already agreed to the request as long as the Tesda-7 won’t be made to spend for it.

ADJUSTMENTS

In a separate interview, Citom executive director Rafael Yap said they allowed a left-turn/u-turn slot on J. Panis St. so that vehicles from Talamban would not have to go as far as the Tesda flyover for a U-turn.

“We have also discontinued the PUJ (Public Utility Jeepney) pocket in front of USC (University of San Carlos) Talmban Campus,” Yap said.

PUJ passengers can only disembark in front of Zubuchon which is around 100 meters from the campus. Yap said there is a gate near the area which students may use to get inside the campus. Another PUJ unloading area is designated another 100 meters from the campus at the Shell gasoline station.

Citom made the adjustments after Rama, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, Citom operations chief Joy Tumulak and businessman Bunny Pages whom Rama assigned to head a BanTal task force checked the situation yesterday morning.

Yap cited the ongoing road-right-of-way acquisitions being undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for a road-widening project in the area. Negotiations for the RROWs are dragging, he said.

“In a way, the dialogue-forum (today) is also useful for us if stakeholders attend because we can tell them that the solution is in their hands,” Yap said.