Cebu City to host traffic summit

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City government has initiated the holding of a traffic summit on September 20 that will gather stakeholders from the neighboring local government units.

Mayor Edgardo Labella said the traffic summit, which will be a whole day activity, aims to come up with an integrated solution to the metro’s traffic problem.

“It’s a common knowledge to all of us that we have serious traffic problem in the city and the neighboring local governments. So, we will discuss possible ways so we can redress this traffic rules. There would be recommendations,” he said.

The mayor admitted that the traffic summit may not result to implement an outright solution but it would be the first step to know the causes and possible short-term and long-term solutions.

Labella said the city will invite representatives from the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB)’s Mega Cebu, all local government units under the MCDCB, Mall Operators Association, Cebu Contractors Association, Philippine National Police, Traffic Patrol Group, and different transport sectors.

The city will also invite national government agencies like the Land Transportation Office-7, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7, Department of Public Works and Highways-7, Department of Trade Industry, and different private sectors and stakeholders.

“This is really our sincere desire to help solve traffic. After all, Cebu City is the center of all of these LGUs. Vehicles will pass through the city. So, I think it is logical to start this. If we don’t start it, kinsa man, ug kanus-a paman?” the mayor said.

Labella said there will also be transport experts that will be invited to explain how all local government units in Cebu could mitigate the impact of the problem.

The mayor said there should be an integrated solution for these problems since LGUs are interconnected with each other.

One of the reasons why there is traffic congestion is the increasing number of vehicles plying the streets, he said.

However, the mayor said the lawmakers should further study the pending bill prohibiting the sale of a vehicle if the buyer has no garage where the vehicle can be parked.

“We are not a developed country, we are a developing country. So, we really have to study that further. But I think the main kuan gyud is to help resolve the traffic problem for us to have mass transport system,” he said.

Once the province will have an efficient mass transport system, Labella said people will no longer want to own a private vehicle.

He said chief executives of the province should push for the implementation of the mass transport system. — GAN (FREEMAN)