Citom: Cebu City traffic system needs overhaul

CEBU City should overhaul its 20-year-old traffic system to ensure improved traffic flow during two international events scheduled two and three years from now.

Rafael Yap, operations chief of the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom), said 80 percent of the city’s traffic detectors are now defective and subject to constant maintenance and repair works.

Several other intersections have defective traffic lights. “We already need an overhaul of our traffic system and not just repair works,” he said.

Yap said the city government also had to acquire brand new vehicles like two tow trucks and five mobile cars to improve Citom’s 24-hours a day service. Citom is now using its lone tow truck bought in 1991.

Yap said he doesn’t approve of the city’s earlier practice of tapping the assistance of private towing companies because this was contrary to Citom’s mandate of delivering public service.

Also, Citom should have speed guns to regulate the use of the South Coastal Road and reduce the occurrence of accidents in the area.

Based on last year’s quotation, a speed gun is expected to cost P400,000 each.

Citom needed four speed guns for use at the South Coastal Road, said Yap.

Yap said he will be including a request for an appropriation for the needed speed gun purchase in their 2014 budget .

“I can’t be effective unless I am given the tools to enforce the law,” he said.

However, Yap said, the city’s need for a brand new traffic light system is a more immediate concern especially with two international events scheduled here.

Cebu City is eyeing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) pre-summit in 2015 and was selected to host the International Eucharistic Congress in 2016.

The presence of a defective traffic detector along the intersection of A. Soriano Street and Juan Luna Avenue near SM mall for example is the reason why traffic flow in this part of the city is not synchronized with traffic systems in nearby intersections.

Cebu City has 78 intersections installed with traffic lights.

Yap is hopeful that the national government would help the city fund the replacement of its traffic light system. / Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac