CITOM extends road experiment

CEBU, Philippines - The City Traffic Operations Management has decided to extend until the Sinulog festivities next month the “flashing experiment” on traffic lights in the most congested intersections in the city.

“So far, nindot ang result sa atong experiment. And like last year, ato pud ning i-continue hangtod sa Sinulog,” CITOM operations chief Jonathan Tumulak said.

Last December 18, traffic lights in 23 major intersections did not work from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. or during peak hours of the day.

Tumulak said the “flashing” experiment was implemented to improve synchronization of all programmed traffic lights in the city.

Traffic enforcers were then deployed at the intersections to man the traffic so that motorists need not depend on the traffic lights.

“Mas dali raman gud maka-manage ang atong enforcers kun naay congestion or wala kay dili pud equal ang distance sa usa ka traffic light ngadto sa sunod nga traffic lights,” Tumulak said, adding, that enforcers will communicate through hand-held radios to synchronize the flow of traffic.

It is reportedly the enforcers’ observation that traffic is more manageable during the experiment and CITOM has not received any negative feedback, so far, both from drivers and commuters.

“Naa man gyod dili ka-uyon kun naay experiment, pero gibuhat ta ni para ra man pud sa kahapsay sa kadalanan especially holidays raba,” Tumulak said.

He said CITOM has even applied the experiment during ordinary hours.

The “flashing experiment” was applied in 23 of the 38 intersections in the city identified as congested intersections during peak hours like the N. Bacalso Street and General Maxilom Avenue.

Tumulak said the experiment is in response to what Mayor Michael Rama referred to as “traffic crisis” during the holidays and during the celebration of Sinulog when the volume of vehicles in the streets is expected to rise.

He said cooperation from both private and public vehicle drivers is needed for the experiment.

Meanwhile, Tumulak announced that CITOM will hold office the Ramos public market in the meantime starting today.

“Wala mi kahibaw until when mi mag-hold og office sa Ramos public market, maong tanang transactions with the motorists anhi usa,” he said.  (FREEMAN)