Cebu City sustains Oplan BanTal

CEBU, Philippines — As the Banilad–Talamban Discipline Zone’s (BanTal DZ) experimental phase ended yesterday, August 31, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the program will continue, with adjustments expected in the coming months based on consultations with motorcycle riders and other stakeholders.

The city government launched Oplan BanTal on August 1 and strictly enforced the initiative beginning August 5.

Initially intended as a one month pilot to test stricter traffic discipline along Gov. Cuenco Avenue, the scheme will now be sustained and refined rather than discontinued.

Archival stressed that the term “Discipline Zone” itself may not fully capture the intent of the program.

“Discipline I think is not the right word, because ‘managing’… kay mangutana nganu man gibutang man mi dinhi nga naa, pwede man mi ka gamit sa tunga… So it’s not restricting the motor nga ari mo agi diri sa right. But it’s a way of telling them nga mao ni inyong saktong himuon,” he explained in an interview with reporters yesterday.

He pointed to lane adjustments being introduced, including a 1.2 meter allocation for motorcycles, while four wheeled vehicles may still use the rightmost lane provided they yield to riders.

“It’s not adjustment para lang nila, para ni para sa tanan,” Archival said.

He added, “Kung naa mo sa right side, kinahanglan mo muhatag sa mga motor nga makaagi pa. Dili ninyo gamiton ang tibuok lane nga ang mga motor ‘di kaagi.”

Archival acknowledged that compliance will take time, describing the program as a process.

“It’s difficult nga ingnon dayon nimo, unya mutuman dayon sila. It’s a process. It’s really a process. But for me, it’s something nga nag develop. It might not be, of course, 100 percent, it might be 2 percent, but at least. I think it’s progressing,” he said.

He cited statistics showing that motorcycle accidents have already declined, with fewer fatal incidents.

“Kung inyong tan-awon sa statistics, ang motor nga ma disgrasya before, more or less mga 1 or 9 kada adlaw, karon ni gamay na gyud na siya pag ayo. Nya the other thing is ang iyang disgrasya dili fatal, because ang ka daghanan nga mag bangga mga motor raman,” Archival said.

The mayor also recalled past fatal accidents near the San Carlos flyover, stressing why motorcycles were barred from using it.

“Pag sugod gyud, wala nato sila pa agii didto sa ibabaw, kay og musaka sila sa ibabaw grabe ang disgrasya, mangamatay gyud. Kabantay mo atong San Carlos nga mga bata nga niagi dinha? Patay gyud sila and statistics will say, the moment naay disgrasya, somewhere at the flyover, ang disgrasya fatal,” he said.

For Archival, sustaining the BanTal DZ, which he now frames as a “traffic management zone,” is crucial to promoting discipline and safety among motorists and commuters.

“Continue gyud ta… kay kung dili nato e sustain dili na ma sud sa utok sa mga katawhan nga mao ni,” he said, adding that residents from Talamban have already reported less stress when traveling through Banilad. “Ma-relax lang ilang utok because they cannot find, og naa man gani gamay ra kaayu motor mu-cross sa atubangan nila.” — (FREEMAN)