Let traffic flow like water

Last Tuesday’s meeting between mayors of Metro Cebu to discuss common solutions to the traffic problem is a good start coming as it is two months after elected officials assumed office.

But with a target date of two years from now to address the problem in order to play effective host to the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC), it will take a monumental effort of all 13 local govrnment units (LGUs) to achieve this.

Or as Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes explained it simply, solving common traffic problem in Metro Cebu doesn’t need anything fancy.

It’s all about “laying one’s cards on the table” and coordinating city traffic ordinances, truck bans and the like. As Ruben Almendras, Cebu city’s new traffic czar said, traffic should “flow like water.”

Tuesday’s meeting of the Mega Cebu board, officially called the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board, was chaired by Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III for the first time.

So far, he’s been able to maintain cordial ties with several Metro Cebu mayors.

A call to unity for APEC hosting activities could benefit Cebu in a big way.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) already said about P388 million was earmarked for infrastructure projects to prepare Cebu as a venue of some of the APEC meetings of ministers.

APEC hosting isn’t in the bag yet, but chances of Cebu getting the honor of handling three high-level meetings are virtually assured.

Other cities like Davao, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro are bidding for the same privilege to host some of the activities outside Manila.

With the international airport in Mactan and Cebu’s global reputation as a tourist and investment haven, the advantages are in our favor.

But this shouldn’t give local officials reason to rest on their laurels. Mobility — a minimum one-hour travel distance from airport to venue site — and security are key criteria being checked in the run up to the APEC event.

We also hope the ghosts of corruption that pervaded Cebu City’s hosting of the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and still haunt the streets in the sight of disabled, vandalized and overpriced decorative lampposts don’t bother us again.

This can be prevented with greater vigilance from private stakeholders and civic-spirited non-government organizations.

Building better, wider roads goes beyond the 2015 APEC event. For Cebu City, that means pursuing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

The APEC may be just the stimulus needed for cities of Mandaue, Cebu, and Lapu-Lapu to set aside political intramurals and address the traffic problem. For now, Metro Cebu leaders are talking and that’s a good thing. Now we need them to act fast to make these solutions a reality.