New traffic policy placed in Lahug, Mambaling

To improve traffic flow, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has ordered a new policy at the Cebu South Coastal Road and at Gorordo Avenue in Barangay Lahug.

In his press conference yesterday, the mayor directed the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to implement a “no left turn” policy from the Mambaling access road going to the city via the road at the South Road Properties.

During a visit of The FREEMAN yesterday, the CCTO has already installed yellow railings at the center of the road in the South Coastal Road to prevent motorists to make left turns.

“(This is) to save lives. Too many accidents. It will also speed up the traffic because there’s no more crossing,” Osmeña told reporters.

Several motorists already complained because the U-turn slot is under the bridge located in the Talisay part of the SRP.

But, Osmeña said it is not true that the new policy will waste fuel consumption among motorists.

“Our closing in the islands of the SRP will also free many of our traffic enforcers,” he said, adding that these enforcers may be assigned to other areas where traffic is of utmost concern.

He said motorists should use the “U-turn” slots from the Cebu City’s side and the Talisay City’s side at the SRP to avoid accidents and to have a smooth flow of traffic in the area.

The mayor also announced that an investor at the SRP vowed to fund the construction of an underpass in the area aside from the underpass that will be funded by the national government.

Osmeña also ordered the CCTO to allow motorists along Gorordo Avenue heading JY Square Mall to make a left turn going to Sudlon area in barangay Lahug.

“Because of the reduction (violators) of this counterflowing, we’re pulling out some of our traffic enforcers so that in Gorordo corner intersection Beverly Hills, Ecotech, Sudlon, you can now make a left turn,” he said.

CCTO Operations Chief Francisco Ouano said the policy was already started yesterday.

Osmeña said the city’s traffic enforcers are doing “exceptional” job in strictly implementing the anti-counterflow measure of the city.

“We are stretching their capacities to the limits. There might have been other request to run after junction boxes, run after this and run after that,” the mayor said, adding that they will focus one certain traffic rule at a time to ensure its implementation.