Solving traffic woes on top of pols’ agenda

OPENING alternative roads, implementing a Metro Cebu Development Authority and establishing maritime road infrastructure are among the projects candidates for the May 13 elections from Carcar City and the towns of Cordova and San Fernando want to pursue to address traffic problems.

The matter was discussed during Mega Cebu’s “Klarohay Ta!” forum on Wednesday afternoon, April 24.

The first part of the forum was attended by PDP Laban-One Cebu candidate Cordova Mayor Mary Therese “Teche” Cho, and mother-and-son tandem reelectionist San Fernando Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya and vice mayoral bet Ricci.

Cordova vice mayoral contender Paul Villaber (Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats), independent Carcar mayoral aspirant Roberto Aleonar Jr., Carcar vice mayoral candidate Juric Sato (National People’s Coalition) and first district congressional bet Ron del Mar (Democratic Party of the Philippines) joined the second part of the forum.

With San Fernando being a gateway to southern Cebu, Neneth said opening an alternative road connecting Barangay Magsico and Pinamungajan town will ease heavy congestion in the main thoroughfare.

She added that the establishment of an international seaport that will open a ferry system from San Fernando to Lapu-Lapu City will also open doors for investors in their town.

“San Fernando was chosen as central spine for the roro system. With this, travel time from San Fernando to Lapu-Lapu and vice versa will only be 45 minutes. We want to address traffic, and the project is now undergoing bidding under the Cebu Port Authority,” Neneth said.

For Cho, the opening of the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) will strengthen the capacity of roads in Cebu province as a whole.

But for Villaber, given their town’s land size and narrow roads, Cordova might not be ready for the influx of vehicles the CCLEX will bring about.

Instead, he plans to push for legislation that will keep tricycles from plying major thoroughfares, or to provide drivers of public utility vehicles with alternatives.

Meanwhile, Aleonar believes that a circumferential road connecting the northern and southern parts of Carcar would remedy the traffic bottleneck in both the city’s southbound and westbound access points.

“Heavy traffic is experienced greatly in central Carcar. We can’t just widen the roads there to increase capacity because it is surrounded by ancestral houses that are considered heritage sites,” he added.

Sato shared the sentiment, adding that existing diversion roads should be interconnected to improve vehicular traffic flow.

First district congressional candidate Ron del Mar, on the other hand, believes a synchronized traffic management plan from one body along with a mass transport system may help solve traffic woes in Metro Cebu.

Cordova might not be ready for the influx of vehicles the CCLEX will bring about. PAUL VILLABER

Cordova vice mayoral candidate