Sunday afternoon traffic jam

In two days, it is already December and the Christmas season means traffic in areas around major shopping centers and lots of people on the streets singing carols.

The traffic situation is something that we hope the CITOM and other traffic authorities are planning for. We expect an increase in volume of traffic so we also expect the authorities to have thought of this.

As to those who board jeepneys or who tap on your car windows to sing carols, the Cebu City Police has announced that they are going to rid our city streets of these people, but it seems that those were only words and as the old song goes, “words are not enough.”

* * *

There was a traffic jam in Talamban last Sunday afternoon. While we know that one reason for the increase in volume of vehicles are the families heading home from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and those coming out of the Family Park.

While there were people trying to put some sense into the situation, one obvious reason why traffic gets snarled here is the lack of care on the part of the barangay officials with regards to putting a system outside that small market.

There are so many motorcycles parked in the area and many motorcycle drivers weave in and out of traffic with little regard for others on the road.

If the barangay would have people calling the attention of the erring motorcycle drivers, life would be easier in Talamban.

* * *

Last week we received e-mail from a Cebu resident who used to live in California. We’d like to share it with you.

Dear Mr. Quinones, read your article in Tuesday’s paper, really liked it. Being a resident here but from California I find it a challenge to drive here, some basic things I see here are the need for the white lines to be repainted in the highway and so many stop signs need to be installed. These are simple things, the rest is a little more complicated, being from So. Calif. our traffic is more congested than here but disciplined. As for the rest of the problem only our so called police force can fix. First by issuing traffic tickets to violators as anyone whom can afford to drive a vehicle can afford the fine, so that will not hurt those whom cannot afford a vehicle. Just the fines alone will be enough to support the force to enforce it along with the vehicles they will need to do the job also plenty left over for the government.

Another thing we need here is driver education also truck and bus inspections for safety as I see so many with bald tires and flats holding up traffic changing them in the road, another thing I would like to see is drop off and pick up stations for the jeepneys, Thanks for now. — Jack Taber

* * *

We told Mr. Taber that there are existing laws about vehicle inspection, but it is obviously not being implemented seriously. The LTO MVIS needs to work harder.

The same goes to the division in charge of registering vehicles.

* * *

For your comments, complaints and suggestions you can follow us via twitter @NLQCebu or go to the Motorists’ Corner page on www.facebook.com.

You can also send email to [email protected].