Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña’s issuance of EO 034 which penalizes counterflowing or driving left with a fine of P500 and impoundment of vehicles for 30 days has elicited popular support and it’s easy to understand why.
Metro Cebu’s traffic problem has gotten worse than it was 3 or 5 years ago. Even people from Manila have observed that traffic congestion in Cebu is almost like Manila’s where everyone gets stuck on the road for hours especially during peak time.
The city’s anti-counterflow measure is a traffic management strategy, which is already provided for in the city traffic ordinance. As with other edicts that are only good on paper, the ordinance will now be amped by an EO that will hit traffic violators where they hurt most — getting their vehicles impounded for 30 days. There will be no early releases, so the errant driver’s mobility will be crippled for a month. The EO is aimed at the general public but I have a feeling it targets motorcycles flooding the city streets and drivers who have no qualms on driving left even if it’s against the law.
The absence of a reliable mass transport system has triggered the rise of privately owned motorcycles, aka habal-habal that ferry passengers from one point to another. Habal-habals originally served people living in mountain barangays or residential subdivisions that have no access to public transport. Habal-habals are illegal but the government has turned a blind eye to the situation because motorcycles-for-hire are bridging the gap in a basic service that the state has failed to deliver.
Ditto for ride hailing services like Uber and Grab. The so-called transport network vehicle service (TNVS) has likewise caused a spike in auto sales due to public demand for convenient rides but it has also caused beyond horrible traffic jams in Metro Manila. Out there, traffic congestion has become a normal occurrence but with TNVS flooding the streets, people brace themselves for carmageddon or traffic jams of biblical proportions during peak hours and bad weather.
In case one didn’t notice, habal-habal rides have also invaded national thoroughfares. Students, office workers and laborers have found this mode of transportation useful even if they know that it can be dangerous.
Habal-habal drivers usually convey their passengers at fast speeds. Even if they slow down during heavy traffic, riders can be knocked off if the vehicle at the rear end does not slow down. It takes only a minute to get distracted and we hear of so many motorcycle accidents happening this way. Most of all, there is no third party level insurance that covers the passenger in the event of an accident.
But these red flags do not seem to bother the public. In fact, the demand for habal-habal service has only given rise to the Angkas online motorcycle ride app which is also illegal.
Mayor Osmeña is urging the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to lift the ban on habal-habals and all attendant restrictions to pave the way for the online Angkas app for practical reasons. The mayor may have a point but I think passengers’ safety must override practical concerns when looking for solutions to the traffic problem and mass transport systems.
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February’s social calendar this week looks full because many event organizers are careful not to disrespect the season of Lent which begins rather early and on Valentine’s Day at that.
A concert featuring popular solo artist Zsa Zsa Padilla happens this Saturday, February 10 at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug. Titled, “Beginnings” the Valentine show also features the Cebu Clergy Performing Artists including performers from Bohol and the popular Fr. Jonas Mijares, OSA. The concert aims to raise funds for a dialysis machine for ailing and elderly priests. For tickets, contact your local parish or Cebu Waterfront Hotel.
The Schoenstatt Movement Philippines will also mark Valentine’s Day with a concert for a worthy cause. Dubbed “Hearts Afire,” the show features local vocalists, ballroom dancing and a sumptuous dinner. We used to hold this event under starry skies; happening on February 11 at the Schoenstatt Center. For tickets, call 0927 990 7047.
The most important event in my social calendar is the 20th anniversary of Cebu Daily News happening this Friday at an uptown hotel. I will write a separate article on this milestone, suffice it to say I have mixed emotions when I think about twenty years of writing opinion and contributing articles for this paper.
Mabuhay, CDN!
Padayon (forge ahead)!
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