Small victory vs flyovers

Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) chairman Sylvan Jakosalem e-mailed to Bunny Pages, which Bunny also shared with Cebu Business Club, a copy of the DPWH Undersecretary for Regional Operation’s memorandum on the proposed two flyovers in Cebu City. In his memo, the undersecretary advised the DPWH Region VII regional director “to hold in abeyance the implementation of these projects until such time that this issue will be resolved.”

This is victory of sort for all those who opposed the proposed new construction of flyovers in Cebu but only partially. Complete victory comes when there is already an order to scuttle the project and to find for another alternative project to solve the traffic congestion that is supposed to be addressed at the sites of the proposed two flyovers. I got word that some high-level officials from DPWH Central office will be coming here before the end of the week for a meeting with the people at the DPWH Regional Office about the two flyovers. With or without this meeting, I am still sure that another consultation, or perhaps a series of consultations, will also be conducted by the DPWH in Cebu to discuss the flyover issue again.

It is clear from the memo that the construction of the flyover will still continue once the issue is resolved—meaning objections overruled because I do not believe that the opposition will ever change their position. The coming consultations will again provide the venue for each side to argue their case. I only hope that the discussion will be less emotional or bombastic and more on facts or sensible presentation of the two opposing viewpoints. How the consultation(s) will end, though, only the DPWH Central Office can tell us or, perhaps, the President, what it will be. Like the court, the DPWH can make its decision based on the arguments made by both sides except that the DPWH also happens to be the proponent or part of it in this case. I would not say the opponents have no chance. The issue is big already to be ignored by the people of Cebu. The DPWH knows this and that alone is a guarantee that it will make a sincere effort to evaluate the situation again and decide on the basis of what is technically, economically, socially and even environmentally sound and defensible solution to the issue. As for now we can only wait “until this issue will be resolved.”

I gave my space last week to the thoughts of Nick Pingitore, a foreigner-businessman who now lives in Cebu. He commented about the flyovers, which according to him he never had any idea what it was before coming to Cebu. He said that in many places where he once lived or visited like New York, London, Singapore, Dubai or Miami, they are not seen there. They are not there because according to him, they don’t work; they simply transfer the choke point from one spot to another. He agreed with widening the roads but he also said this is just not possible also in many places here because of the presence of bordering structures. Given that the problem involves stopping anywhere to pick up or discharge passengers, his solution was to construct bays where jeepneys and buses could stop without disturbing the rest of the traffic. Doing this, according to Nick, tantamount already to widening the road without actually widening it.

Reading Nick, another foreigner named Reiner who is new in Cebu also wrote to me his views about the flyover. He said he is only a guest in our beautiful country and have no right criticizing. When coming here to Cebu, he was very astonished, however, to see what we call flyovers here. He agrees with Nick that it is right that one doesn’t see one in other countries but because of that the flyover is also an attraction to him. He took extra time walking just to find out the sense of our flyovers but left without result. He challenged me to ask at a university to describe the flyover as a math problem and I would find out that it has no sense. Beside, it is expensive and disturbs traffic for eternity, according to him. He then asked who can afford to rebuild them when one day you got a master plan and want two extra tracts over the existing street. In Europe, like England, Germany, and France, for example, they would simply build a roundabout or if needed a double roundabout, which are faster to build, cheap and easy to change.

Commenting on our local mass transport, he said: “By the way your jeepneys I think are the best solution for Cebu. Think about if these 22 people inside would also ride in these mostly big individual cars with black windows too shy to show how they are able to waste space and money.” Interesting points you made there, Reiner.

Later, Reiner wrote again: “As you said, jeepneys should not stop in the middle of the street to pick up and discharge passengers.” He asks: “You mean these 22 people inside have to get off the lane for one big car with one or two passengers. Each one in a jeepney has the same right of the street as the lonely big car driver, you should think.”

Interesting point again. Thank you, Reiner.