Band-aid solution

If the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) keeps its word that it will finish the repairs on the Mandaue-Mactan bridge by August this year, then the commuters and motorists coming from or heading to Lapu-Lapu City have little choice other than to grin and bear for two more months before their situation improves.

Otherwise this number coding or odd-even scheme by the City Traffic Management System (CTMS) of Lapu-Lapu City will only be a band-aid measure at best and yet another example of how helpless Metro Cebu local governments are when it comes to adjusting to national road and infrastructure projects.

And based on the disclosure by the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) the scheme would only work with the cooperation of the Mandaue City government.

Even without a technical evaluation, both TEAM and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III are less than enthusiastic about the number coding scheme based on what they observed in Manila’s traffic where the scheme was implemented with little to no success in the late ‘90s until today.

That the number coding scheme was said to have caused the rich to buy more cars with alternate license plates shows just how creative Filipinos can get when it comes to loopholes so they can get what they want; in this case, riding to their destinations in style and convenience regardless of the cumulative effect on traffic.

But what is the alternative for these motorists, who cannot be faulted entirely for wanting to ride to offices, schools and other destinations in comfort other than the passenger jeepneys whose drivers are also to blame for the monster traffic congestion due to their lack of discipline and unpredictable stopping at any area in order to load and unload passengers.

Also what happened to the ferry proposal mentioned by CTMS chief Frank Brazil that was supposed to be the alternate mode of transport for commuters heading to and from Cebu City to Lapu-Lapu City?

Last we heard the agencies involved in preparing the docking areas for the ferries were unable to do so, leaving the ferry project hanging. Which is an unfortunate turn of events for the commuters and motorists who continue to endure two-hour traffic congestion.

But as pointed out by those lobbying for the use and deployment of more ferries as another mode of transportation, a sea route can be developed not only for ferries to transport commuters but also tourists who can pass through many of Metro Cebu’s tourist attractions by boat.

We can only hope that better options are available for commuters and motorists since they have two more months to endure this so adjustments would have to be made until the project is finished.

In the meantime, the DPWH should be reminded constantly to expedite the repairs to end the suffering of the riding public the soonest possible time.