Cebu City to tap foreign firm to help address traffic

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City government is set to tap California-based firm Leotek in order to improve the traffic system in the city.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, who sits as the chairman of the committee on environment, energy, transportation, communication and other utilities, told reporters that the city will ask the help of Leotek to address the traffic concerns in the city.

Guardo said they know Leotek after their recent visit in Taiwan last week wherein the firm installed cameras in the intersections of that country to closely monitor the drivers.

He said with the current traffic scheme of Taiwan, the government has instilled total discipline to drivers.

“Sa Taiwan karon, seldom you can find traffic enforcers but their intersections duna ba’y built-in cameras,” he said.

Earlier, Guardo, along with Osmeña and other executive staff, went to Taiwan for a sisterhood event.

Leotek, which is founded in Silicon Valley, California in 1992, is known for global manufacturing of street, roadway, area and signal lighting products and solutions.

“We are finding ways how we can adopt the system here in Cebu nga we can implement non-contact apprehension of violators, unya facial detection of drivers. It can also help us sa atong security,” Guardo said.

Leotek personnel will be in Cebu City before the month ends for the test run.

The city government decided to pilot the intersection in front of a shopping center along Osmeña Boulevard.

Guardo said they will allow Leotek manage the traffic situation in the said area to check if it would really help improve the traffic system of the city.

“Atong tan-awn unsa ka efficient and see how they will improve sa atong traffic problem. I just wanted to see and check how they will do it,” he said.

After the test run, they will evaluate the efficiency of the new system and will decide later on whether or not to adopt the said scheme.

But Guardo is hopeful that, with the Leotek’s system, the city government can strictly implement traffic rules and regulations so that various traffic concerns will be addressed.

“Yes (stricter implementation of existing traffic policies) kay dili man makit-an sa ubang enforcers ang violators if naa’y i-apprehend na lain. Sa kini wala na’y lusot kay naa nama’y cameras,” he said.

Among of the policies that the city’s traffic department is strictly enforcing right now is the anti-counterflowing, illegal parking, among others. (FREEMAN)