EDITORIAL - Giving Ciudad a chance

It’s good the proponents of the Ciudad project promised the public to do their best to help solve the traffic woes along Governor Cuenco Avenue. After all it is their responsibility to look for whatever solution they could find on the matter.

During a dialogue in Barangay Apas last Wednesday, officials of Fifth Avenue Development Corporation assured that more roads will be constructed within the Ciudad to decongest the stretch of Gov. Cuenco Avenue beside the project.

Well, in the first place, the developer has no other recourse except to see to it that the flow of traffic will not be compromised. There’s no question that if not properly implemented, the Ciudad project will add to the already worsening traffic problem in the area.

Given the right design, however, it can actually help ease the heavy flow of traffic in that area as far as the assurance of the developer is concerned. So it is just a combination of a careful planning and a perfect design that is needed in order for the Ciudad to click.

Barring another glitch, a public consultation over Fifth Avenue’s application for Environmental Compliance Certificate for the project is scheduled for October 21. During that event, we can only expect a heated debate between the project’s proponents and those against it.

The public hearing was supposed to be conducted last Wednesday but those against the project successfully pushed for its postponement. Although they have the rights to do their best to stop the project, the public – especially those affected by the project – has also the rights to hear from the other camp.

Aside from bringing huge revenues to the government coffers, the Ciudad project promises employment for hundreds of Cebuanos, particularly the Apas residents. City officials cannot deny the fact that it is the city that will greatly benefit from that major development.

So giving the project a chance is actually a major score for the city.

That lot intended for the Ciudad project cannot lay idle forever. Establishments will eventually rise on it in the name of development. And as the city progresses, there will always be solution to every traffic problem.