A one-day traffic scheme that was scrapped after causing congestion and complaints has prompted Cebu City Councilor Jun Alcover to call for a closer review of how major traffic changes are planned and implemented.
Alcover is asking the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to explain whether sufficient consultation was conducted before the traffic arrangement under Oplan BanTal was tested.
He called for an executive session with CCTO head Raquel Arce, representatives of the Traffic Management Council, transport network vehicle service (TNVS) groups, motorcycle and habal-habal drivers, affected communities and businesses along the routes.
Alcover raised the matter during his privileged speech on Tuesday, Aug. 11, saying he was speaking both as a public official representing residents of Cebu City’s North District and as a road user who experienced the congestion during the traffic change.
“This is not about blaming anyone. It is about understanding what happened and determining how we can prevent similar difficulties in the future,” Alcover said.
The call followed the Aug. 5 temporary restriction on motorcycles passing through the Banilad Flyover as part of Oplan BanTal. The traffic arrangement was restored the following day after authorities assessed its effects.
Alcover said his office received complaints from motorcycle riders, including habal-habal drivers and members of the TNVS sector, who were affected by the rerouting.
He said the experience should be treated as an opportunity to determine what worked, what did not and what needs to be changed before similar measures are implemented.
“Sometimes, a dry run tells us something that planning alone cannot,” Alcover said. “It tells us how a traffic scheme actually behaves on the ground.”
Alcover acknowledged the objective of Oplan BanTal, which was introduced to address persistent congestion along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.
However, he said traffic management should consider not only policies and plans but also the actual conditions experienced by motorists, commuters, businesses and residents.
He particularly sought the participation of motorcycle riders, habal-habal drivers and TNVS operators in traffic planning, citing their firsthand experience with road conditions, bottlenecks and the effects of rerouting.
Businesses along affected routes should also be consulted because changes in traffic flow can affect customers, employees, deliveries and daily operations, he said.
“Consultation should not be seen as an obstacle to traffic management. It should be part of good traffic management,” Alcover said.
He also called for stronger public information efforts, more comprehensive traffic data and ground assessments before major traffic changes are implemented.
Alcover proposed establishing a mechanism that would allow authorities to immediately receive and consider feedback from affected sectors during dry runs.
The Aug. 5 traffic scheme also drew complaints over citation tickets issued to motorists during its rollout.
Arce earlier maintained that the citations remained valid, saying traffic signages, rather than the operational status of the Banilad Flyover, served as the basis for enforcement.
“In the first place, we have traffic signages, and those traffic signages were the basis of the apprehensions,” Arce said.
She said motorists who entered areas marked “No Entry,” improperly used designated motorcycle lanes or crossed solid lane markings could be apprehended under existing traffic rules.
Arce also rejected calls for the CCTO to simply cancel the tickets, saying the office does not have unilateral authority to void citation tickets.
She said requests for cancellation must undergo the appropriate administrative process involving the Traffic Management Coordination Board, the Office of the City Mayor, the Cebu City Council and the Commission on Audit.
The Aug. 5 traffic change was part of the broader Oplan BanTal implementation, which entered its enforcement phase after a five-day information and dry-run period that began Aug. 1.
The program covers the Banilad-Talamban corridor and seeks to improve traffic flow through designated loading and unloading areas, pedestrian discipline, motorcycle lane management and stricter enforcement.
Arce earlier said traffic authorities expected some resistance and confusion as motorists adjusted to the new system.
She also clarified that the outermost motorcycle lane is not exclusively for motorcycles. Four-wheeled vehicles may temporarily use the lane when preparing to turn right, accessing establishments or maneuvering around stalled or illegally parked vehicles, subject to traffic rules.
The CCTO also flagged public utility vehicles that continue to load and unload passengers along the roadway instead of using designated lay-bys.
Arce said enforcement would continue alongside information and education efforts as motorists adjust to the traffic arrangement.
Under his proposed executive session, Alcover wants Arce and the Traffic Management Council to explain the basis for the Aug. 5 traffic scheme, the consultations conducted before its implementation, its objectives and the traffic conditions observed during the dry run.
He also wants the council to hear concerns from affected sectors and the reasons for restoring the previous traffic arrangement on Aug. 6.
Alcover said the immediate issue was not whether Oplan BanTal should continue but whether future traffic changes could be implemented with better preparation and coordination.
“Perhaps we need stronger consultation before major traffic changes,” he said.
“Perhaps we need clearer public information. Perhaps we need more comprehensive traffic data and ground assessment before implementation.”
He formally moved for the council to note his privilege speech and conduct an executive session in aid of legislation with the concerned traffic authorities, transport groups, motorcycle and habal-habal drivers, communities and businesses.
The proposed session would allow the council and affected sectors to review the Aug. 5–6 traffic changes and determine measures to prevent similar disruptions as Oplan BanTal moves forward.
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