Rama revives plan to close Citilink Terminal

A recent visit to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) has revived Mayor Michael Rama’s earlier plan to close the One Citilink Terminal in N. Bacalso Avenue.

The mayor said that the terminal which is located beside the CCMC, emits fumes that are harmful for the patients recovering from various illnesses.

“Tan-awa ra gud na, duol man na kaayo sa hospital. Puros gyud aso na nga terminal. Wa na ma-in line sa clean air act,” Rama told nurses, hospital officials and department heads in an event at the CCMC which he attended last Tuesday.

(Look at that, it’s very close to the hospital. That terminal emits smoke. That is a violation of the Clean Air Act.)

Rama immediately ordered City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to look into the issue.

“Find a way to have it closed,” Rama told Poblete.

“Ngano naglisod tag pahawa nila? I told Poblete to check if naa pa ba nay kontrata,” he added.

(Why are we having difficulty in removing them? I told Poblete to check if they still have a contract.)

Poblete said he would still have to look into the legality of closing the facility.

“With the mayor’s order, we will go to that direction. We are still also seeking guidance from the legal office and CITOM. We will solve this because the mayor has a point,” Poblete told Cebu Daily News.

Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) head Rafael Yap said he has informed the mayor earlier this week that Citilink’s contract will expire this year.

“We are now under discussions with the mayor for his plans to close the terminal,” Yap told CDN.

If the closure of the terminal pushes through, public utility vehicles from Talisay City and Minglanilla will be allowed to go to Colon area.

Yap added that they are also studying how to divert vehicle traffic from Talisay City and Minglanilla. /Jose Santino S. Bunachita, Correspondent