Truck ban extension eyed for APEC meet

 CEBU, Philippines - After the traffic dry run yesterday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, traffic management groups of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu will recommend for the extension of the time of the truck ban.

“Gikinahanglan nga minusan ang sakyanan along the route. Kailangan i-implement ang truck ban. Minusan ang vehicles if wala gyoy road closure. Kay 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. ang truck ban maong pag 9 a.m., daghan na ang trucks,” said Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) operations chief Jonathan Tumulak.

At 9 a.m. yesterday, a traffic dry run was conducted along the APEC route by the CCTO, the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City’s City Traffic Management System and personnel of Land Transportation Office. 

Tumulak said the presence of the trucks along the route will further delay the delegates from one venue to another.

The truck ban, currently implemented in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue, runs from 5 to 8 in the morning and 5 to 8 in the evening.

Traffic management groups said there’s a need to extend the time since the APEC delegates are expected to pass through the roads starting 6 in the morning to 10 a.m. In the afternoon, the delegates are expected to travel from Cebu City to Lapu-Lapu starting 3 p.m.

The Cebu Truckers Association Incorporated said that although it would hamper the delivery of products, they will abide by the instruction on the truck ban during the APEC meetings.

But CTAI president Gabby Cruz said the longer ban would severely affect Cebu’s economy with the slow movement of goods both import and export.

Cebu has an average 800 trips daily both local and international.

Dry run success

With the average speed of 40 to 60 kilometers per hour, it took 31 minutes for the seven-car and five-motorcycle convoy to reach Marco Polo Plaza Cebu in Cebu City from Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa in Lapu-Lapu City.

The convoy also went back to Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa from Marco Polo Plaza Cebu in Cebu City and it took only 23 minutes for them to travel with the average speed of 60 to 70 kilometers per hour.

The traffic management groups also raised concern on the ongoing road works in some parts of Plaridel Street in Mandaue City.

Tumulak said though that as reported by the contractor during their meeting, the road projects will be finished next week.

Cebu will be hosting the third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting from August 22 to September 6 this year. The traffic dry run was implemented to determine the travel time that would be consumed as delegates travel from one venue to another.

The hotels that will house the delegates are Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa in Lapu-Lapu City, and Radisson Blu Cebu, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, and Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, all in Cebu City.

CCTO executive director Rey Gealon, for his part, said there is a need to educate the motorists and public utility jeepney drivers not to further delay the convoy of the delegates.

Gealon said CCTO will be strict in implementing the “no illegal parking” along the APEC route. His office exercised the same thing yesterday as vehicles parked along the road were clamped while motorcycles were also impounded by CCTO personnel.

CCTO will implement the re-routing scheme on August 22, the first day of APEC meeting.

Holiday

The National Organizing Council for the APEC is leaving the declaration of holidays to the local government units’ discretion.

Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., director general of the APEC 2015, said there is no final judgment yet on the declaration during the APEC season, but the LGUs concerned may do so based on their assessment.  — Jean Marvette A. Demecillo, Michael Vencynth H. Braga and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon