In one of my previous columns I suggested that the Banilad-Talamban road should be made a “no left turn” zone if we really want to ease traffic in the area.
I observed that from the flyover heading to Banilad, many establishments allow vehicles to cross the narrow road. This causes traffic to slow down and even stop from the Shell station to Crossroads then Tinderbox, the Cebu Country Club, the Aboitiz corporate office to Gaisano Country Mall all the way to Talamban where many schools are located.
Private vehicles are practically lording it over at the expense of the riding public.
Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama has finally implemented the correct solution to the traffic problem in the Banilad-Talamban area by making the whole corridor a no-left-turn zone.
Initially, drivers who were used to having their way complained. But if I were to travel to the area, I would plan ahead my day and determine what place to go and errands to do.
Every commuter and driver should remember that the road is owned by the people, not an individual, and that you are partly responsible for its use.
Plan your travel and your day; this will contribute to solving the traffic problem. Gone are the days when we would do things on a whim and get our way on any road of the city.
We have to act responsibly and sacrifice a little for the betterment of the entire city.
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I missed two columns last week because I was admitted to the hospital for a life-threatening illness of congested lungs and a heart problem that was exacerbated by the physical setup of my teaching assignment in the University of San Carlos Talamban campus where the buildings have ramps but no elevators.
My classes are located in three separate buildings in the campus. I have to go up and down three floors, a routine which my cardiologist says affected by heart condition.
But I am writing this column because I am flabbergasted by the cost of medical care in the city. An ordinary resident couldn’t afford this.
I’m lucky and thankful to USC because I am covered by health insurance as a faculty member.
The ceiling for coverage was reached in a couple of days. That is why I’ve vowed to advocate to make health services accessible and affordable to ordinary people. I’m calling anew on my cousin Mayor Mike to push on with the construction of a new Cebu City Medical Center, a public hospital that is affordable and world-class.
The way I see it, it’s highly improbable for the average citizen to pay for medical expenses on his own. The rates are out of this world. It makes you want to shoot the people engaged in the pork barrel scam.