More cars, narrow roads blamed for traffic woes

CEBU, Philippines — The worsening traffic situation of Cebu City is blamed on the increasing volume of private cars and the inadequate road infrastructures to compensate it.

“Definitely, nagka grabe gyud ang traffic (traffic has worsened). Every year, pila ka sakyanan ang madugang diri sa ato human gagmay atong dalan (vehicles are growing in numbers every year but our roads are narrow),” Cebu City Transportation Office operations head Francisco Ouano admitted.

For 2018, Land Transportation Office-7 Director Victor Caindec said he has yet to collate the data. But in 2017 there were over 574,819 motor vehicles and motorcycles registered in Cebu.

For Cebu City, over 110,000 vehicles and motorcycles are up for renewal in 2018. There’s a possibility that the number would still increase. Ouano said he expects to see additional cars on the streets next year.

To address the problem, he said the city government has to welcome any mass transport system that would discourage the motorists from using their cars.  At least 40 units of modern public utility vehicles, however, are already servicing the city starting next year.

The modern PUJs operated by Persano Corp. will be plying in two missionary routes.

The first route will traverse from Cebu City Hall to Asia Town I.T. Park passing through Robinsons Galleria Cebu, Cebu Business Park and vice versa while the second one will traverse from R. Duterte Street to Sykes, via Happy Valley, Fuente Osmeña, Ramos Street, D. Jakosalem Street, Cebu Business Park and vice versa.

“Dili naman magdala og sakyanan tungod aning buses (Because of the buses people will no longer drive their own cars).  Less stress for them ug (and) less traffic. Ingo nalang sakay ug manaog (you only have to ride then disembark),” Ouano said.

He also mentioned the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project, a 21-kilometer BRT route from N. Bacalso Avenue, South Road Property, Osmeña Boulevard, N. Escario Street and Governor Cuenco Avenue. The project, however, has been delayed for three years now.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he expects critics to continue to delay the implementation of BRT.

The mayor said he will welcome any mass transport system for as long as the government will not spend for it and for as long as it will complement the BRT. —/FPL (FREEMAN)