Blackout causes traffic gridlock, few accidents

CEBU, Philippines – The region-wide blackout that started past 9 a.m. yesterday morning caused heavy traffic congestion in Cebu City’s major intersections and led to several traffic accidents.

“Imbis ang atong traffic enforcers mag-man unta sa trapiko, mabiyaan na lang usab kay mag-imbistigar man sila sa nahitabong bangga,” said radio operator Rosario Torres of the City Traffic Operations Management.

There were 17 vehicular accidents responded to by CITOM investigators as of 3 p.m. yesterday and Torres said these happened because some of the drivers ignored the signs of traffic enforcers manning the intersections.

“Dili man hinuon dagko ang kadaut sa mga vehicular accidents pero nakapasamot kini sa traffic congestion,” the radio operator said.

Torres said the road accidents took place in different areas in the city’s north district, particularly in the downtown area and other major intersections along Gorordo and Gen. Maxilom avenues.

After the traffic lights were rendered useless, CITOM officials quickly deployed traffic personnel to major intersections, but they did not have enough personnel.

Some members of the Land Transportation Office’s Task Force Alpha were also seen manning some intersections.

Traffic authorities told driver to be more careful when traffic lights are inoperable and be more considerate to other drivers.

“Ang ubang drayber god kay magpa-ugat man og mag-ilogay sa paglusot kon walay traffic light ug walay traffic enforcer,” a CITOM enforcer said.

CITOM operator on-duty Joanie Sarona said the intersections in J. Luna Soriano and J. Luna in barangay Mabolo and the intersection of Gen. Maxilom Ave. and MJ Cuenco Ave. up to Plaza Independencia experienced the heaviest traffic.

Drivers and motorists complained that aside from the absence of the traffic lights, many drivers were unruly despite the bumper-to-bumper situation.

However roads in the southern part of the city did not experience the same problems since the roads there were much wider and most of the motorists were heading north where commercial establishments were located.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Bureau of Fire Protection alerted its personnel for possible fire alarms, expecting that people will be obliged to use lamps and candles in the absence of electricity.

“Alert man ta karon (yesterday) kay delikado ilabi na sa gabii kay mogamit man gyud og lampara ug kandila ang mga tawo,” Fire marshal Esmael Codilla said.

The city’s fire department has already controlled permitting vacation leaves to its personnel especially those who belong to the frontline of firefighting operations.

As of 2 p.m. yesterday, power was restored to 25 percent of Cebu Island, National Grid Corporation corporate communications officer, Carmela Castillo said in a telephone interview with The Freeman.

According to Castillo, the NGC immediately conducted the ‘islanding operation’ right after the Visayas-wide brownout hit, each island connected to Cebu-Negros-Panay grid that were affected will rely on their own power plants.

The power provided to the Cebu-Negros-Panay comes from the power surplus from geothermal power plants in Tongonan, Leyte. — Rene U. Borromeo and Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP (THE FREEMAN)