TRAFFIC managers in Cebu Province’s first district met in Minglanilla Sunday, March 25, to discuss preparations for Holy Week activities.
Led by Cebu provincial traffic management focal person Jonathan Tumulak, the meeting aims to prevent another “Carmageddon” like what happened in December last year.
Tumulak said he sought the meeting with traffic managers from the cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar and the towns of Minglanilla and San Fernando in order to prepare for an increase in the number of vehicles going south.
Tumulak said that a “synchronized traffic plan” must be made by all traffic managers in the first district to ensure that all vehicles are able to move smoothly toward southern Cebu.
But traffic managers in the five areas in the district said that while they are eager to cooperate with one another, there are some problems that needed to be ironed out.
These include limited traffic personnel, lack of communication equipment, and the presence of man-made obstructions such as those caused by ongoing road constructions that could cause traffic, if not managed immediately.
PO2 Edcel Ricablanca, who represented San Fernando’s traffic division, said in the meeting that they are often criticized because of an ongoing road project in their town that is causing traffic especially for motorists going to Cebu City.
In response to Ricablanca’s concern, Tumulak asked Digoy Villanueva, who represented Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas (Cebu,1st district) in the meeting, to talk to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regarding the project.
Traffic police in the first district also asked the Land Transportation Office (LTO) regarding the status of their deputations which allow them to issue temporary operator’s permit (TOP) against erring motorists.
Bernard Jamorol of the LTO 7 Operations Division said he is seeking clarification with their regional office on the status of their deputations.
Villanueva assured Tumulak that they will try to convince DPWH to speed up the project or to tell the contractor to put up measures to prevent future gridlocks.
At least 40 traffic enforcers of the Minglanilla traffic command (Mitcom) attended a six-day basic traffic enforcement course, which ended yesterday.
Mitcom enforcers are expected to test what they learned from the training this week, as Minglanilla will play host to various religious and cultural activities, particularly the Sugat Kabanhawan Festival at dawn on Easter. (JKV)