CEBU, Philippines - The increasing number of vehicles, the government's failure to construct more road networks or even widen the existing roads and the problem about undisciplined drivers are main reasons why our roads have become congested.
Based on the records of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the total number of registered vehicles nationwide continues to increase every year, including those in Central Visayas (CV), particularly in Cebu City and in other nearby cities.
As shown in LTO's data, out of the 7,463,393 motor vehicles registered nationwide as of last December, there are 625,318 registered in Cebu and in other parts of the region.
In 2010, there were only 521,903 vehicles registered in CV which increased in 2011 with 574,640.
Within Cebu City, motorists usually experience heavy traffic from seven to nine o'clock in the morning and five to seven o'clock in the evening, particularly in Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue.
This is also experienced in General Maxilom Avenue, Osmeña Boulevard, Imus Avenue, Natalio Bacalso Avenue, B. Rodriguez Street, Escario Street and Gorordo Avenue.
Ruben Almendras, chairman of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) Board, said the city is already experiencing heavy traffic, although is still fortunate that the traffic situation in Cebu is much better compared to Manila.
In fact, Almendras said motorists in Cebu City still move at 22 kilometer-per-hour (KPH) even during peak hours.
But he pointed out that the heightened traffic congestion in Cebu City and in other parts of Metro Cebu needs to be addressed immediately as it may discourage potential investors from bringing in more businesses in the Queen City of the South.
CITOM's Executive Director Rafael Christopher Yap said of all the roads in Cebu City, they consider the stretch of Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue, otherwise known as the Banilad-Talamban road as the most problematic road in the city.
"Bisan og dili pa peak hours kanunay lang nga congested sa mga sakyanan ang maong karsada ug mosamot na nga hapit dili makasibog ang sakyanan during peak hours (Even if it's not peak hours, the road is always congested. This becomes more of a problem during peak hours when vehicles are unable to move)," Yap said.
According to Yap, the government failed to foresee the problem of traffic congestion when the Banilad-Talamban road was constructed several years ago.
Primarily, another parallel road near Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue should have been built to serve as an alternate road for the thousands of people residing in Talamban and in other neighboring barangays.
The other road parallel to Banilad-Talamban is the Hernan Cortes Avenue, which is already situated in Mandaue City and a kilometer-away from the Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue. The Hernan Cortes Avenue is the road connecting H. Fortuna Street in Banilad to M.J. Cuenco Avenue.
Several years ago, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) widened the Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue from corner Salinas Drive in Lahug to Banilad.
However, it did not completely solve the problem.
The DPWH again allocated P150 million for the widening of the Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue from Banilad to Talamban and the project is expected to be started this month.
To further help the traffic congestion along the Banilad-Talamban road, Almendras said the CITOM Board passed a resolution recommending the City Council to request officials of the Armed Forces Central Command to allow passage of any type of vehicle inside Camp Lapu-Lapu in Barangay Apas.
Both Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu Governor Hilario Davide Jr. strongly supported the said proposal of CITOM.
"Initially, ang pagpaagi lang usa sa mga sakyanan diha sa kampo ang atong ihangyo, but eventually papahawaon g'yud na sila diha. A military camp has no business in the central business area of the city because in case of rebellion daghan kaayo ang maangin. They should move out to the western part of the province - to Balamban (Initially, the passage of vehicles through the camp is what we requested. But eventually, they would have to transfer)," said Almendras.
Undisciplined Drivers
Undisciplined drivers, usually of Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) and taxis, contribute to the traffic congestion as traffic signs are blatantly ignored to pick up or drop passengers, even in places where stopping is strictly prohibited, consequently obstructing the flow of traffic.
Yap of CITOM explained that PUJ drivers are forced to violate traffic laws because of the stiff competition over other PUJs, for them to get the most number of passengers to at least make up for the rental of their units.
"Mapugos mi pag-violate sa balaud kay ang pasahero anha man 'sab maghuwat og kasakyan sa no stopping area. Badlongon 'sab unta kana sila sa mga traffic enforcer. Kun dili kami mopasakay dili mi makaabang sa among unit. (We are forced to violate the law since passengers also wait in no stopping areas. Traffic enforcers should also reprimand them. If we don't get passengers, we can't rent our units)," PUJ driver Esmael Colina said.
Ahmed Cuizon, the regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Central Visayas, said there are about 5,000 PUJs plying in different routes in Cebu City alone.
The LTO road enforcers, including the members of the Task Force Alpha (TFA), made 83,289 apprehensions of erring drivers in 2010. The following year it went up to 101,855 but decreased though to 84,794 in 2012. Most of the apprehensions were done in Cebu City.
Yap said educating drivers on how to use our roads is another way to address the problem on traffic congestion. "Driver's education is very important because if we can only discipline ourselves daku na kaayo na og matampo sa traffic solution.
Apprehending the erring drivers is also educating them of the traffic laws," he added.
He also shared an observation that in some LTO district offices, the policy in requiring applicants of driver's license to attend seminars tackling the provisions of the Transportation and Traffic Code is not strictly implemented which is why many drivers do not know the meaning of some traffic signs.
Yap said the process on securing driver's licenses in the Philippines is not that strict unlike in the United States. "Dili man kaayo effective ang pag-attend of seminar sa LTO compared sa States where securing drivers' licenses are very strict. Dinhi maminaw ka lang og seminar kakuha na'g lisensya (Attending the seminar of LTO is not that effective compared in the States where securing driver's licenses are very strict. Here, you just attend a seminar and you get a license)."
CITOM enforcer Renato Generoso, who has been a traffic enforcer for 17 years already, attested that there are really a lot of drivers who are not knowledgeable of traffic signs. "Daghan g'yud nga mga drayber sa PUJ nga dili gani makasabot unsay kahulogan sa mga traffic signs. Maglisud gani'g suwat sa ilang ngalan. Ug miagi lang g'yud unta sila og proceso sa LTO makamao g'yud unta tingali (There are really a lot of PUJ drivers that do not understand traffic signs. They even have a hard time writing their name. If only they went through the proper process in LTO, they would know these)."
But for LTO Agent Bimboy Arnaiz, the strict and fair enforcement of traffic laws is the best way to educate the drivers for them to think twice before violating road regulations.
LTO-7 Acting Regional Director Arnel Tancinco and CITOM's Yap agreed that apart from the widening of roads in some areas of the city, new road networks should be constructed to help minimize the traffic congestion.
In Manila, traffic authorities have already tried the "Odd-Even" scheme where vehicles with plate numbers ending in odd and even numbers alternately travel only in allowed days.
But Yap explained that he is not convinced with the policy since the wealthy can just buy another vehicle.
"Modaghan hinoon ang sakyanan kon ipatuman ang Odd-Even scheme kay ang mga datu mopalit ra man og laing sakyanan (That would just result to more cars since the rich can just buy another car)."
As another way to decongest the roads, Yap and LTFRB's Cuizon, including Almendras, supported the suggestion that the LTO should no longer renew registration papers of dilapidated vehicles as well as to ensure that vehicle owners should have their own garage to prevent them from parking their vehicles along the road… To Be Continued — /ato (FREEMAN)