Metro Cebu to tackle own gridlock woes by holding traffic summit

Traffic congestion on Fuente Osmeña Avebue in Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Delta Letigio

CONGESTION is not unique to EDSA — or even Metro Manila, for that matter. Progressive cities in the country unfortunately get their own share of gridlock woes, too, and counted among these places is Metro Cebu. To address the issue, the Cebu City government last week announced it would host a traffic summit on September 20. Expected to gather for the meet are concerned government agencies and other stakeholders.

A report published by Cebu Daily News/Inquirer.net said Cebu Mayor Edgardo Labella had called for the summit and invited officials of Cebu City neighbors Talisay and Mandaue, transport groups including habal-habal drivers, taxi and bus operators, and the Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) operator Grab to join the summit and voice their concerns.

Labella was quoted in the report as saying the cooperation of all concerned is needed as traffic congestion is a shared problem in the Metro Cebu area.

“If there is a bottleneck in a road in Cebu City, there will be traffic in Mandaue City and Talisay City as well, in Consolacion and so on and so forth,” the Inquirer quoted Labella.

It added the mayor said that every stakeholder, including the operators and owners of  public utility vehicles, habal-habal drivers, students groups and business associations, would be given a chance to speak out on their ideal traffic system and give solutions to the traffic woes presently experienced in Metro Cebu.

The summit will be led by the Cebu City Transportation Office, while representatives from the Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board will be among the main speakers during the summit.

“It [the summit] might not [provide] outright solutions, but we will know the causes of the problems, and suggest solutions to the problems with the help of the experts,” the Inquirer report quoted the mayor.