Traders keen on Road Revo talks

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry broke its silence on the issue surrounding the effects of the Road Revolution on the business sector.

Although claiming that the activity has bad effects on businesses, CCCI president Samuel Chioson said they can always sit down with the Road Revolution organizers on the matter.

Lawyer Antonio Oposa, the co-convenor of the Road Revolution Movement, welcomes the idea of the CCCI.

“I accept responsibility and wishes to reach out to the people who have criticized the movement to tell them the working principles of Road Revolution,” Oposa told The FREEMAN.

Oposa said he is looking forward to meeting with the CCCI people hopefully on October 13 when he returns from Manila.

Chioson said the Road Revolution can be enhanced, explaining that the day, time, road and alternative traffic route should be discussed first.

“Ato lang i-select ang area, date and time. Dili nato ikalit nga dili i-inform, tarunga ang traffic,” Chioson said.

Chioson said those affected by last Road Revolution should be asked if they still agree to the activity.

“Kato apektado we will ask them uyon ba sad sila, it’s not fair to them also,” Chioson added.

Some Cebu City officials have opposed the holding of the next Road Revolution along Osmeña Boulevard due to traffic problem.

Mayor Michael Rama had said he will call for a meeting with Oposa and other leaders of the movement.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said it’s good that the organizers apologized for the inconvenience brought by the activity, which closed the P. Lopez Street and portions of P. Burgos and Colon streets.

The City Traffic Operations Management said it will first conduct a traffic impact assessment before granting the request of any group applying for road closure.

For the next Road Revolution next month, CITOM proposed the South Road Properties as venue.

Not about closing roads

Amid criticisms from commuters, businessmen, and the transport sector, Oposa emphasized their effort is not about closing roads.

“It is about sharing roads. Di ta mag-ilog, i-share sad nato sa uban” the lawyer said.

He said only five percent of Cebuanos have cars but 99 percent of the road is given to them.

After launching the first event in June, the group held another Road Revolution in some parts of the city on September 24.

“I could only wish that some of our formal leaders were around to take a walk in the old Colon Street during that day. Perhaps, they too would have seen the joy in the faces of the people,” said Oposa in a formal letter he would be sending to some personalities.

“For the first time, they experienced a taste walking in the oldest street in the country without choking from the smoke of motor vehicles,” he said.

He said there may have been cracks in their communications and preparations but many lessons were learned.

“To me, there are no losses, only lessons; and every crisis is an opportunity. The lessons learned from the 24 September experience will only make us do better in the future,” he said. — /LPM (FREEMAN)