Citom to spend P150M for traffic lights

Raffy Yap

The Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) wants to be given a budget of  P357 million next year, more than twice the budget given them this year.

Of the amount, more than half or P190 million will go to capital outlay, the bulk of which or  P150 million will fund the construction and improvement of traffic signal lights.

At yesterday’s budget hearing, Citom executive director Rafael Yap said they are also transitioning into a full-fledged department next year.

“We are long overdue in terms of transitioning into a full department since the ordinance was already passed in 2010,” Yap said.

Promoting Citom into a department named the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) means they will have their own account in the city’s annual budget.

Signals

Citom was given a budget of P131 million this year and and P129.9 million last year.

Yap said the P150 million for signalization will cover areas not included in the P10.8 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

“Right now, we can’t say how many signals and properties will be affected by the BRT since everything is still up in the air for BRT,” Yap told the councilors.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is the implementing agency  of the BRT project.

Yap said they are still waiting for the project’s detailed engineering study which Transportation Assistant Secretary Sherielysse Bonifacio said  could be done by January.

Feasibility design

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmena, budget and finance committee chairperson, suggested that the signalization be done in phases since P150 million is a big amount.

Other items under Citom’s capital outlay include development of Citom impounding area at the South Road Properties (P23 million), fabrication of three-meter panel pedestrian railings (P1 million), communications equipment (P3.5 million), clamps (P7.25 million), traffic barriers (P5 million) and feasibility design for Citom building (P1 million).

Yap said Citom will continue to hold  office at N. Bacalso Ave. in the next three to six years.

Councilor Sisinio Andales earlier said the Cebu City Medical Center, which is occupying the Bureau of Fire Protection compound, is planning to expand to the Citom office.

“Although there are verbal requests, there is nothing on paper. Citom supports CCMC but we can’t leave our office since we don’t have a place to transfer. What I know is that these are still under discussion,” Yap said.

He said the initial discussion is that Citom office will transfer to a BRT office that will be built in six to nine years.

Shared lanes

Under the proposed Citom budget,  P10 million will be allocated for the painting of pavements with   reflectorized thermoplastic paint.  Citom got P500,000 for road markings in this year’s budget.

Yap said the P10 million would include the building of shared priority bike lanes which have yet to be identified and approved by the City Council.

The City Council recently approved the ordinance of Councilor Nida Cabrera to establish 1.5 meter lanes for bicycles.

Cabrera said they are still waiting for Mayor Rama to appoint the chairperson of the Tindak Sugbo Board which will identify the shared lanes and implement the ordinance.