Bearing with the traffic

The city officials are asking the people to bear with the traffic due to the Sinulog celebration.

We believe that most people would understand the increase in the volume of traffic due to the celebration, but many motorists have asked us to also remind the city officials to remove the traffic obstructions that worsen the situation.

Of course, there are also requests for early announcements about traffic rerouting that should be posted on the roads that would be affected.

Among the traffic obstructions that motorists want removed are those tents that are used for wakes and those that have been put on the road for other purposes.

These are traffic obstructions even if they are provided by well-meaning politicians for the good of their constituents.

We are also calling on the CITOM to work closely with the barangay officials so that the places away from the parade and procession routes that would also be affected by the rerouting would have people manning key intersections.

It has been our sad experience in the past that areas not near the routes where the roads are closed don't even have somebody trying to make sense of the flow of traffic.

If the CITOM remains incapable of addressing certain problems, then the city better find the right person for the job.

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We've been exchanging email with Forest Gerdes, an American who is now a resident of Cebu, and he shared with us some of his views about the traffic situation in some areas of the city.

Some of these are the problem at the junction of Salinas, Gorordo and Nivel where the traffic situation has been very bad. 

He also noted how the authorities tolerate the obstruction of one or two lanes of the road where tents are put up for wakes and also the problem in the area outside Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and the Asiatown IT Park going to the area in front of TESDA where the flow of traffic is often stalled.

If only out traffic authorities use a little common sense, the situation in these areas would not be very bad.

Also if only our drivers would just observe road courtesy, the situation will not be bad.

One more thing that really gets many motorists irritated are those motorcycle drivers, who don't follow their lanes and go against the flow of traffic without regard for safety.

We haven't seen the traffic enforcers apprehend violators.

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We received a few more complaints about kids begging on the streets.

One reader said that there is still a group of children that beg in front of the Capitol.

Another asked if the police will still round up these street children for their safety?

We hope that the authorities are paying attention and not sleeping on their job.

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For your comments, complaints and suggestions please feel free to contact us at 2531276 or 2538613 local 237.

You can also send email to [email protected].