Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama met with representatives from the local government units of Cebu Province’s first district, together with police, and traffic agencies on October 20, Friday. | Courtesy of Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — During the first convergence meeting on Friday, October 20, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama met with representatives from the local government units of Cebu Province’s first district, together with police, and traffic agencies.
Among the discussions tackled in the meeting was to address the incident that occurred outside the South Bus Terminal on Tuesday evening, October 17.
READ: Cebu bus terminal accident: Man dies after falling off moving bus
Meeting with Cebu City Mayor Rama
The representatives of the city’s transportation office composed of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) and the Traffic Management Committee (TMC) also discussed the said situation.
Councilor Rey Gealon, TMC head, told CDN Digital that they had their meeting with Rama along with CCTO Head Raquel Arce and the operations personnel regarding the incident that occurred on Tuesday evening.
During the meeting, they raised the discussion “on the state of disorder that the drivers of minibuses has brought upon the city following the tragic incident across the south bus terminal costing the dear life of a teacher and the rampant traffic violations they committed as they ply the stretch of N. Bacalso Avenue.”
To address this, Gealon said that Rama directed them to “restore” order in Cebu City roads.
READ: CCTO: Part of N. Bacalso Avenue closed for 2 months for BRT lane construction
Cebu City Traffic management plan
“If it means that we will not let them pass through Barangay Bulacao, instead only through SRP (South Road Properties), and loading and unloading of passengers will just be there as well, we will enforce it,” Gealon said.
He clarified that the plan would be a “temporary traffic management measure” until the Bus Rapid Transit project is completed to unburden the road of the heavy volume of vehicles plying the route.”
“Consequently, a significant number of vehicles would be off that stretch of road which would be beneficial to motorists considering that lesser vehicles would translate into lesser travel time,” he added.
READ: CCTO: Part of Osmeña Blvd near Capitol to be closed to traffic for 20 days
Convergence meeting
Moreover, according to the city’s public information office (PIO), during the convergence meeting also tackled solutions to the worsening traffic congestion going through the southern corridor.
“Kinsa’y mosulbar ani? Kita. Ako, I am only a catalyst,” Rama said.
(Who will solve this? Us. Me, I am only a catalyst.)
READ: CCTO implements parallel parking along Fuente Osmeña Circle as BRT works continue
Steps to implement
According to the PIO, among the ‘immediate steps’ that the city would take to address the traffic problem are to involve stakeholders, road clearing, sidewalk and setback recovery, traffic personnel presence, putting up of restrooms, establishing roundabouts, arrangement of ambulant/sidewalk vendors, lighting of roadsides, and drafting of a comprehensive road/traffic management plan.
The convergence meeting was attended by the representatives from Talisay City, Minglanilla, Sibonga, Naga City, San Fernando, and Carcar City; officials from the Cebu City Police Office, Cebu Provincial Police Office, Highway Patrol Group 7, Land Transportation Office, CCTO, and the police stations in the province’s first district.