Mandaue turns on three of 36 modern traffic lights

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and the members of the city council led yesterday morning’s “switching on” of the three of the 36 modern traffic lights which the city has procured and are to be installed along the city’s nine intersections.

Yesterday’s switch-on was among the highlights of the city’s 44th Charter Day celebration.

Cortes is proud that the city was able to procure the P39-million traffic lights which are equipped with security cameras ,timers, and sensors.

The mayor said the new traffic lights can be considered as “top of the line’ because these are even more modern as compared to the traffic lights in Metro Manila.

He said the lights use light-emitting diodes which cut down on energy consumption and are more powerful.

The traffic system also uses fiber optic instead of a wireless software, allowing the city to save more by skipping the usual connection to telecom companies in order to operate unlike other modern traffic lights in the country.

Traffic will be monitored at the command center located beside city hall.

Built-in security cameras can monitor the traffic build-up and even street crimes.

He also said the city’s new traffic light system has a ten-year warranty from the supplier “Truine Electronics System.”

Its representatives will remain in the city for a year to train personnel on how to operate the lights.

The modern traffic lights are also Persons with disabilities-friendly because it has a “pedestrian talker” that tells pedestrians to either stop or go through beep sounds.

Cortes said that part of the contract was also for the supplier to rehabilitate the old traffic light system and once rehabilitated these will be installed in some other intersections in the city.

Peter Ong, president of Truine Electronics said he hopes to install all the traffic lights in the nine intersections by the end of the year.

He said his projects have already been proven effective as the same modern traffic lights have been installed in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, and Angeles City in Pampanga. (FREEMAN)