Executive department to push for P500 million budget: City to upgrade traffic system

CEBU, Philippines —  The Supplemental Budget 2 that Cebu City’s executive department is proposing includes a P500 million allocation for the modernization of the traffic system.

Mayor Edgardo Labella said there is a need to upgrade the over 30-year-old traffic system called the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS).

Labella said he envisions a modern system that can be synchronized with traffic systems of neighboring cities.

The executive department submitted to the City Council the P2.5 billion Supplemental Budget 2 yesterday.

Aside from the P500 million proposal for a digital traffic system, SB 2 also includes P455 million for cash assistance for senior citizens, and P80 million for cash assistance for persons with disabilities, among others.

The city will source funds from the cosigned payment of the consortium of SM, Ayala, and CHI for lots at the South Road Properties the group purchased.

Earlier this week, traffic in at least 14 intersections in Cebu City went awry after the traffic system got busted.

As of 2018, only 72 of 80 controllers and 118 of 658 detectors of SCATS are functional and operational.

CCTO operations head Andres Bayarcal welcomed Labella’s quick action on his office’s proposal.

“Karaan na gyud kaayo atong traffic system. Labas 30 ka tuig na gyud ni. Karon, magsige pa mi og pa-deploy og personnel kay mokalit og kausab ang flow niya (Our traffic system is very old. This is at least 30 years old. We end up deploying personnel to the street to man traffic because the system can go awry),” he told The FREEMAN.

Once a new system is in place, the traffic personnel that man areas with busted traffic lights can be utilized in other areas and can focus on CCTO’s campaign against illegal parking.

Bayarcal said that in less than three hours yesterday, his team clamped 126 vehicles that were parked illegally along streets and sidewalks.

“Amo gyud gihingusgan ni kay mao ang mando ni Mayor Labella ug labi na ang direktiba ni President (Rodrigo) Duterte nga wala gyud obstruction sa public roads (We’re working so hard on this because this is Mayor Labella’s order and President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive that public roads should be free of obstructions),” he said.

Most of the vehicles that were clamped were caught in Barangays Tinago, T. Padilla, Mabolo, Talamban, and Banilad.

Last week, the office also clamped at least 200 vehicles in Barangays Sambag I, Sambag II, and Barangay Pardo.

Owners of clamped vehicles will have to pay P1,500 to the city as clamping and towing fee. They should present an official receipt of payment and certificate of registration at CCTO to redeem the vehicles. —  JMO (FREEMAN)