Anti-flyover opponents admitted to being disappointed with President Benigno Aquino III’s decision yesterday to conduct a traffic study first to determine the viability of flared intersections or flyovers in Cebu City.
“We are not contented. The whole matter was minimized. The issue was lack of comprehensive planning, and he just rode between political sides,” said Joel Lee, convenor of the Movement for a Liveable Cebu (MLC).
He said Aquino “did not do justice” with his response to pursue the road widening in Gorordo and MJ Cuenco Avenues where the P600-million flyover projects will be built.
The President also pushed to fast-track a traffic study and master plan.
The President met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who pushed for a moratorium on flyover projects, and Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar, who lobbied for flyover projects, in the Palace together with Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson.
Lee said Rama also told them of what transpired during the meeting over dinner in the Asilo dela Milagrosa, one of the cultural sites that would be affected by the Gorordo flyovers.
He said the officials who were present in the meeting should read the findings and recommendations of the Technical Working Group of the Regional Development Council-Infrastructure Development Committee (RDC-IDC).
The committee recommended the suspension of the flyovers since it lacked public hearing and traffic data.
Lee said they will organize a forum over the weekend to discuss the contents of the TWG study.
In a statement, the Movement for a Livable Cebu (MLC) called for Aquino to look beyond the flyover as a mere “traffic and political issue.”
It also called for citizen participation in all stages of the planning process for the traffic and transport master plan.
The MLC is comprised of representatives from the church, academe, urban poor and other interest groups.
Former Cebu City south district representative Antonio Cuenco backed the flyover projects in yesterday’s 888 News Forum.
Cuenco, who said he initiated construction of the Mambaling flyovers, said these structures eased traffic congestion in the area.
He said flyover proponents and civil society groups who opposed the project should also respect Aquino’s decision.
During last Tuesday’s RDC meeting in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Mayor Rama inserted in his opening speech the TWG report and asked that it be calendared for the next council meeting in March next year.
Joy Martinez-Onozawa, an MLC member, said this will give the council enough time to review the report.
After the RDC meeting, Rama flew to Manila to attend the meeting with the President.
Representative Del Mar’s father, former congressman Raul del Mar, questioned Rama’s inclusion of the TWG report saying it violated the rules of procedure.
Tagbilaran City mayor Dan Lim joined the discussion and called for a halt on the discussion of the TWG report.
Rep. Tomas Osmeña, who distributed flyers to the RDC members to express his opposition against Rama’s plan to revoke council endorsement of the flyover projects, reiterated that he doesn’t want the mayor to drag the council down with him.
“Rama wants to withdraw a previously approved RDC resolution that he himself signed. He claims that he did not know what he was signing. This is the first time in history that a government official (made this admission),” Osmeña said.
Osmeña said reversing a previously approved resolution will make the RDC lose its credibility.
“All Rama has is a group of people with personal interests. The verdict (against proposed flyovers) came out first then the process (of doing the TWG study) followed,” he said.
Osmeña said if flared intersections were implemented as recommended in the TWG report, this won’t have the same impact as having flyovers on congested streets.
He cited the Cebu South Coastal Road viaduct as an example. If built on land, the coastal road will function like a flyover.
He said nobody is allowed to cross or make sudden stops on top of flyovers thus preventing any interruptions on traffic flow.
“Even if we have flared intersections, there will still be jeepneys stopping in the middle of the street and children crossing the street,” he said.