New traffic lights in Cebu City have been launched on Friday, March 26. | Photo Courtesy of the Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The traffic light system in Cebu City remains functional but has incurred considerable damage due to typhoon Odette which battered the city and parts of Visayas and Mindanao more than two months ago.
In a phone interview, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) spokesperson Paul Gotiong, said that Cebu City’s traffic light system is operational at the moment.
Although functional, CCTO claims that there are still intersections with problems such as incomplete lights, not fully functioning timers, or traffic lights that are not in synch.
Gotiong said they are doing manual traffic enforcement in areas with sizeable damage if only to ensure an orderly flow of traffic.
“Mao na sometimes or usually mu override mi, amo bitaw nalang e manual among pag traffic light especially [makabantay mo] naay intersections mu random lang siya or kuwang iyang time mahatag [para maka “go”]” said Gotiong.
Typhoon Odette hit Cebu on December 16, 2021, leaving a swath of damage to infrastructure, human lives, and properties including traffic lights and roads.
Gotiong did not give a definite target date as to when the city’s traffic light system will return to normal citing several factors including suppliers’ timeline.
“We cannot give gyud (details) kay that is on the part of the supplier, we also follow-up na gani sa atong command center and wala silay feedback pud.” Gotiong said. /rcg
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