Traffic congestion at the Banilad-Talamban road is almost an everyday problem for motorists. CDN Digital photo | Christian Dave Cuizon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Starting January 8, Monday, motorists can again be allowed to turn left on certain areas along the Banilad-Talamban (Ban-Tal) area which was then prohibited starting last December 2023.
This is after the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) removed the ‘no left turn’ signages installed in the area, particularly in Governor Cuenco Avenue (Banilad corridor from Tesda flyover to the Foodland flyover).
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CCTO, No left turn signages, traffic marshalls
And this is announced in a notice by the CCTO informing motorists that starting Monday at 5 a.m., all those “no left turn” signages would be removed in that particular stretch of road.
With the absence of the signages, traffic marshals (at least one marshal per driveway) will be managing the left turning vehicles and must be ‘strategically assigned’ in the center line of Gov. Cuenco Avenue – fronting the particular driveway.
According to the CCTO, this move was done to ‘maintain traffic flow’ in Gov. Cuenco corridor ‘without compromising the economic viability and transport accessibility in the area, calling it an ‘assisted/regulated left turn.’
The CCTO said they would monitor and assess this scheme for 15 days from Jan. 8.
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Stakeholders proposal
Although CCTO head Raquel Arce could not tell the specific date when was the last time the ‘left turn’ signages were put up, she said that it was not that long ago, recalling it was around approximately the last week of December 2023 or before Christmas.
Arce said that the order was in accordance with the decision of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.
She said that the stakeholders in that area proposed to Rama that they would provide their own personnel to manage the traffic.
Rama also confirmed this to CDN Digital.
“Kung wa silay personnel nga ibutang, atong butangan og signage nga ‘no left turn’,” Arce said.
(If they will not assign personnel there, then we will put a ‘no left turn’ signage there.)
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15-day observation
Moreover, the 15-day observation will be the basis if the CCTO would continue the scheme or to revert it back to having the signages again.
The ‘no left turn’ signages were installed due to the traffic congestion in the same area, Arce said.
“Usa man sa makacreate og congestion ang sakyanan nga mo left turn, so magsunod ang uban nga imbis straight going…narrow kaayo atoang dalan unya two lanes unya gamitan pa sa left turning (nga mga sakyanan), so mao na nga madisrupted gyud ang flow of traffic,” she said.
(Vehicles who will turn left in the area can cause congestion, so others will follow and instead of the traffic going straight…the road there is very narrow and they are two lanes then you have left turning (vehicles), so that will disrupt the traffic flow.)
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In a separate interview with Rama, he said that the stakeholders in that area should provide their own personnel because otherwise, he would let the CCTO place the ‘no left turn’ signages again.
“There will never be any perfect solution when it comes to traffic…until that (time when) unless we have a sophisticated integrated traffic management system,” he said.