BanTal traffic ‘has improved,’ says Archival chief of staff

Waiver of first-day violations still under study

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Traffic has improved along the Banilad-Talamban corridor under the city’s BanTal Discipline Zone, according to Mayor Nestor Archival’s chief of staff.

Kenneth Siasar said Monday, Aug. 17, that the city’s assessment and feedback from motorists indicated that traffic now flowed more smoothly in the area since the city began enforcing the discipline zone.

“As far as our assessment is concerned, and as far as the feedback sa mga tao nga atong nakita, nga flowing na ang atong traffic diha sa BanTal, sa atong gihimo. We may not be able to achieve it perfectly, pero naa gyud kausaban,” Siasar said.

(As far as our assessment is concerned, and based on the feedback we have received, traffic is now flowing in BanTal because of what we have implemented. We may not have achieved it perfectly, but there has been a change.)

The assessment comes amid continuing concerns from motorists over penalties imposed when the city began full enforcement of Oplan BanTal on Aug. 5.

Waiver still under study

Siasar said the mayor’s office could not immediately commit to waiving penalties from the initial implementation because the city issued official traffic citation forms for the violations.

He said the mayor could face limitations if an ordinance required motorists to pay the penalties and the citations already formed part of the official traffic enforcement process.

“Kung naa’y ordinansa ana nga obligado ta nga obligado sila nga muhatag o mubayad, maglisod ug waive ang Mayor kung part na sa coable nga dokumento,” Siasar said.

(If there is an ordinance requiring them to pay, it will be difficult for the mayor to waive the penalty if it is already part of a collectible document.)

Still, Siasar said the Office of the Mayor would study whether it could grant a waiver.

“Estudyohan pa na sa Office of the Mayor kung unsay katong chance,” he said.

(The Office of the Mayor will still study whether there is a possibility of doing so.)

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City says scheme ‘eased’ traffic

Siasar said the city expected motorists to struggle initially because they had grown accustomed to the previous traffic arrangement.

“Although simulation ni siya, although kani experimental ni siya, pero atong ni gi-tan-aw nga unta kani tinud-on sa atong mga motorista,” he said.

(Although this is a simulation, although this is experimental, we want motorists to take it seriously.)

He said the city’s assessment indicates that the scheme has helped reduce traffic congestion in the area.

“Base sa atong assessment, nakatabang-tabang man yata. Dili na kaayo inana kagrabi ang traffic dihang dapita,” Siasar said.

(Based on our assessment, it appears to have helped. Traffic in that area is no longer as severe.)

Motorists urged to give way

Siasar also appealed to drivers of four-wheeled vehicles to respect the designated motorcycle lane and leave enough space for riders.

He said some four-wheeled vehicles enter the motorcycle lane and leave little room for motorcycles, creating another source of traffic conflict.

The city wants motorists to use their designated lanes and give motorcycles enough space, particularly along the roadside.

“Unta kani let’s be considerate enough nga mu-give way ta gamay, labina daplin sa karsada, aron katong mga motorcycle dili maapiki o dili mapiit,” Siasar said.

(We should be considerate enough to give way a little, especially along the roadside, so motorcycles do not get squeezed or trapped.)

He said motorcycles could make unsafe maneuvers when vehicles leave them insufficient space.

“Otherwise, kung maapiki sila, eh magpataka sila. So, useless ang atong gihimo kung wala tay consideration sa uban,” Siasar said.

(Otherwise, if they get squeezed, they may make improper maneuvers. What we are doing becomes useless if we do not consider other road users.)

Initial rollout drew complaints

The CCTO began full enforcement of Oplan BanTal on Aug. 5 after an information campaign, replacing reminders with citations for violations involving the motorcycle lane, loading and unloading, jaywalking and other traffic restrictions.

The rollout drew complaints from motorists, particularly motorcycle riders, over the designated motorcycle lane and restrictions on motorcycle use of the Banilad flyover.

CCTO head Raquel Arce earlier said the city expected increased traffic volume and resistance from motorists as enforcement shifted from information dissemination to citations.

She said the city had allotted four to five days for information dissemination before strict enforcement began.

Arce also explained that the motorcycle lane would not exclusively serve motorcycles. Slow-moving four-wheeled vehicles, including those preparing to turn right, may use the outermost lane when necessary.

Aug. 5 citations remain valid

The city’s later decision to reopen the Foodland Flyover to motorcycles also raised questions about citations issued on the first day of full enforcement.

Arce said the Aug. 5 citations remained valid because enforcers based their apprehensions on traffic signs and rules in effect when they issued the tickets.

“No. It’s legit,” Arce said when asked whether the citations became invalid after the city reopened the flyover to motorcycles.

“Naay signage nga ‘No Entry.’ So, as far as kadtong mga dakop are concerned, legit to siya nga dakop. Dili to siya sayop nga dakop nga mao’y atong grounds for invalidity,” she said.

(There was a ‘No Entry’ sign. So, as far as those apprehensions are concerned, they were legitimate. They were not erroneous apprehensions that would serve as grounds for invalidating them.)

Some motorists also received citations for crossing solid lane markings, which Arce said already constituted a traffic violation before Oplan BanTal took effect.

Arce previously said the CCTO could not cancel citations on its own because such action falls outside her authority.

“Naa sad silay punto (They also have a point),” Arce said of motorists who questioned their citations after the city changed the traffic scheme.

“Dili ako ang right person nga moingon nga ato nang i-cancel kay beyond na sa akong authority,” she added.

(I’m not the right person to say that we should cancel them because that is already beyond my authority.)

She said any cancellation request must undergo the appropriate administrative process, including review by the Traffic Management Committee before reaching the mayor and other approving bodies.

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