Capitol compound no longer open for PUVs

CEBU, Philippines - Beginning today, the access road at the Capitol compound is no longer open for public utility vehicles coming from Escario Street and heading for M. Velez Street.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday ordered the closure, which will take effect today, after receiving information from the City Traffic Operations and Management (CITOM) that vehicles bound for Guadalupe can now pass through Don Gil Garcia Street, beside the Capitol Compound.

With this development, Garcia’s executive assistant Elizabeth Francia told reporters that the Capitol access road will now resume its normal traffic flow with an entrance and exit to and from Escario Street.

Francia said that since Don Gil Garcia Street is already open for traffic, vehicles which will exit near the Legislative Building can no longer turn left and would have to go straight to M. Velez Street.

Supposedly opened as entrance and exit, the usual two-way traffic was altered with the Escario gate of the Capitol Compound opened only for entrance when the rerouting scheme was implemented because of the road repairs along Don Gil Garcia Street.

For the duration of the road repair project, Governor Gwen Garcia allowed vehicles bound for M. Velez to use the Capitol Compound as temporary access for both public and private vehicles from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm everyday to prevent traffic congestion at Don Gil Garcia street.

Last year, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by Governor Garcia, Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) Chairman Sylvan Jakosalem and Cebu City District Engineer Nicomedes Leonor Jr. to open the Capitol Compound access road to the public and implement a one-way traffic scheme. (FREEMAN)