CITOM doing overtime to handle traffic

CEBU, Philippines - With the "horrible traffic" that accompanies the holidays, Mayor Michael Rama wants all personnel of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management to man all streets in the city.

"Wala pa man ta'y ipuli para sa guba nga traffic lights so we need more people on the ground. I will have a meeting with all of them including parking aide who should also be involved in the traffic," Rama said.

Rama said he does not want vehicle traffic here to reach a point that is no longer tolerable.

Yesterday, Rama met with 500 CITOM personnel to discuss the matter.

"There is a need of more people, more discipline, extra hour of volunteer," Rama said.

"Sa meeting, ako silang giingnan na extend ta og one hour - volunteer lang. Ni-ok man sila," he said. The scheme started yesterday.

He said the city won't be paying for the extra hour of work but will look for an incentive like a sack of rice for each. 

"We are taking traffic as if there is traffic crisis until I will say back to normal. Mas maayo pud nga naa silay makuha sa ilang gitrabaho-an kay dili raba lalim," he said.

Aside from additional hour of work, Rama also said the city's traffic personnel won't hold a Christmas party to avoid repeating last year's situation wherein vehicles in the city's streets experienced a standstill because no traffic personnel manned the flow. 

"Dili man pod pwede nga mag-party… unya kinsa may tao sa kalsada?" he said.

DAWN MASS

Meanwhile, yesterday's start of the "Misa de Gallo" was peaceful in Cebu City, the police said.

City Intelligence Branch chief, Supt. Romeo Santander, said no major untoward incident was recorded except for a theft case in Barangay Pardo where a resident lost his mobile phone he left inside the house when he and his family went to church for the dawn mass.

He said traffic congestion near churches was something they have anticipated but this was addressed by the presence of traffic personnel. 

Supt. Conrad Capa, officer-in-charge of the Cebu City Police Office, earlier directed station commanders to deploy police personnel in churches to ensure the safety of churchgoers during dawn mass.

Once again, Santander reminded the public to stay vigilant by keeping their houses well-locked when they attend the dawn mass and not to bring plenty of cash and other valuables when they hit the streets.

He also encouraged other "force multipliers" like barangay tanods to assist the police in keeping an eye on lawless elements who might take advantage of the Simbang Gabi. The police have also put up public assistance centers at churches. —(FREEMAN)