Citom braces for construction of two flyover projects

Building two new flyovers means the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) has to field more personnel in the area, which is staff they can’t afford yet.

“That means another deployment of Citom personnel in the two areas . We don’t have the luxury of personnel. And when we fail to deploy, all the blame will be on us again,” Citom director Rafael “Raffy” Yap said yesterday.

Yap is attending today’s public hearing on controversial plans to start building two flyovers at Gorordo Avenue and M.J. Cuenco Avenue.

Yap said he would attend the forum today hosted by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“I know that whatever we say there won’t stop the project since the budget and the bidding of two over passes are already there. They just have to know our stand. Our only hopes of stopping it is to seek the help of the President or the DPWH Secretary, he said.

Yap said he worried about the impact after the flyovers are completed.

He said Citom wasn’t opposing the project as long as a proper traffic study is made and exiting roads are widened first.

“We found out that there is no mention of road widening. If that’s the case, the purpose of traffic reduction in the area is defeated,” Yap said.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who oppposes the flyovers wtihout first making an updated traffic study and road widening, said said he would not attend the forum since his position is already known by the President and the DPWH.

Businessman Bunny Pages of the Banilad-Talamban Traffic Task Force said he was dismayed that whatever they say or do in the forum, the projects would still push through.

“We are supporting the stand of the mayor to put a stop to these things until a traffic master plan of the City is done. The last study that we are looking at now is already 33 years old. This city has gone through a lot of changes and we need to cope with it,” , said Pages, who’s group supports the road widening proposal.

“As taxpayers, we demand from our politicians to manage and spend our money well. What they are spending it on is not a solution,” he said. Correspondent Edison A. Delos Angeles