CITOM denies request for truck ban exemption

CEBU, Philippines- The Cebu City Traffic Operations Management has denied the request of National Food Authority-7 to be exempted from the truck ban.

Lawyer Rafael Yap, executive director of CITOM, said that the truck ban during peak hours helps minimize traffic problem along the city streets.

City Ordinance 1472 or the “Truck Ban Ordinance” prohibits the passing of trucks, trailers and delivery vans at certain streets during peak hours.

Trucks are not allowed in the city’s major thoroughfares, inner roads, and in downtown area from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

In a letter dated February 25, NFA-7 director Raul Chong requested the city government for truck ban exemption.

“The importance for the approval of our request for exemption is paramount and cannot be over emphasized considering that NFA cargoes are our region’s staple food and stock transfers by land from the warehouses in NFA Cebu are normal daily occurrences,” Chong said.

However, Yap said that NFA has still other time to transport the goods and not during peak hours.

“Considering the time of the truck ban period, there is still eight hours of daytime that allows the passage of trucks along the streets in the city,” Yap said. He said that CITOM has not approved any exemption on the truck ban.

“In as much as our concern is to minimize traffic problem along the various streets in the city especially during the morning and afternoon peak hours, the passage of trucks, trailers and delivery vans during the prohibited hours shall be enforced/implemented,” Yap said.  (FREEMAN)