Mayor Tom wants jeepneys at CSCR
In order to ease the traffic congestion along N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is looking at allowing public utility jeepneys (PUJ) to access the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR).
“We will also discuss opening the South Road Properties to the jeepneys. Many of the things we're doing is trial and error – sometimes it works, (sometimes) it doesn't. If it does not work, we will not do it again. But, if it works, we will keep it. But if we try nothing, life will not get better,” Osmeña told reporters.
Among the things Osmeña had earlier considered was banning private cars during peak hours along N. Bacalso Avenue, which is now pending for public hearing.
But Osmeña pointed out that the City Council must declare it as an emergency situation so that allowing PUJs to pass through CSCR is legal under the law, knowing that there is a city ordinance banning the usage of the road for jeepneys.
“There is a legal question because we have an ordinance that says jeepneys are not allowed. The mayor cannot go against his own ordinance except in an emergency,” he said.
Once the council considers the situation under a state of emergency, the mayor will sit with the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to identify routes of jeepneys which can access CSCR.
It was in August 2017 that the area became congested after the contractor of the underpass project along N. Bacalso Avenue started the excavation works.
The mayor said once jeepneys are allowed to access the CSCR, there may be traffic congestion at the area. However, he said the city government must do something instead of doing nothing.
Osmeña said this measure is just temporary, knowing that by the end of the year, the underpass project is expected to be done.
In an interview, CCTO Operations Chief Francisco “Isko” Ouano said they have to meet with LTFRB-7 on the matter.
His initial plan was to allow northbound PUJs to access CSCR, boundary between Talisay City and Cebu City and will deploy Kaohsiung buses that would ferry passengers up to Compania Maritima in order to avoid possible congestion.
Right now, WT Construction Inc., contractor of the project, is on Phase III of the project, which includes boring and piling works along F. Llamas Street.
Since February 28 all southbound vehicles were advised to pass Caimito Street and E. Sabellano Street then to their usual route.
CSCR INCIDENT
Meanwhile, a man died after the multicab he hitched a ride with rammed into a lamppost along the CSCR in Barangay Cansojong, Talisay Wednesday morning.
Police Officer 1 Ruel Detuya of the Talisay City Traffic Division said the incident was the fourth reported vehicular crash at the CSCR on that day.
During the initial investigation, victim Cornelio Payosalan Jr., 58, together with his common-law wife, Yolly Jean Bahag, 25, both residents of Barangay Mohon, Talisay, hitched a ride in a multicab driven by Juvie Padilla, 38, a resident of Sitio Tunga, Barangay Tanke, Talisay.
The multicab came from Cebu City and was heading towards Talisay City.
Detuya said the driver lost control of the vehicle causing them to hit on the center island and rammed into a post.
The three were brought to the Talisay District Hospital, but Payosalan, who suffered serious injuries, was declared dead a few hours after the accident.