Daily commuters in Cebu City may soon see fewer mid-road stops and traffic bottlenecks as the city moves to enforce stricter loading and unloading rules for public transportation.
The Cebu City Council approved a measure directing the strict observance of designated loading and unloading areas for all public utility vehicles (PUVs).
Authored by Councilor Michella Abella-Cellona, the resolution instructs transport operators, regulatory agencies, and barangays to ensure that PUVs pick up and drop off passengers only at official Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) stops.
The council said the measure aims to restore order on major city roads that have long suffered from illegal stopping practices.
According to the resolution, Cebu City continues to experience “heavy vehicular congestion, disorganized queuing, road obstructions, and safety hazards” caused by jeepneys, buses, taxis, and other PUVs that load or unload passengers outside designated areas.
It highlighted that informal and unauthorized stopping points have led to bottlenecks, mid-lane stoppages, and unsafe pedestrian behavior, particularly along Osmeña Boulevard, SRP Road, N. Bacalso Avenue, the Banilad–Talamban corridor, and other high-density routes.
Citing the Constitution and the Local Government Code, the resolution underscored the city’s mandate to protect public health, maintain order, and regulate transportation to promote the general welfare.
It stressed the “compelling need for a unified, citywide enforcement protocol” to ensure compliance with CCTO-designated stops.
Under the new rules, all modern and traditional jeepneys, buses, taxis, motorcycle-for-hire units, and other authorized public conveyances are required to load and unload passengers strictly at designated CCTO stops.
Stopping along non-designated areas, intersections, pedestrian lanes, mid-lanes, or any unsafe section of the road is strictly prohibited.
The CCTO is tasked with intensifying monitoring operations, deploying personnel to critical areas, and conducting both regular and surprise inspections in coordination with the Cebu City Police Office, the Land Transportation Office–7, and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board–7.
The office will also install visible signage and publish maps, advisories, and other information to guide commuters and transport operators.
Barangays are instructed to help monitor compliance within their jurisdictions, including deputizing qualified tanods as Transport Safety Monitors in coordination with the CCTO.
Transport cooperatives, operators, and drivers’ associations are urged to inform their members of the resolution’s rules and enforce discipline across their fleets.
The city government, through the CCTO and Public Information Office, will launch an extensive information and education campaign to raise public awareness of designated stops, the consequences of violations, and the importance of orderly road behavior.
The resolution emphasized that “strict observance of loading and unloading rules is an essential component of good traffic governance, commuter protection, and effective urban mobility management.” (LLP)
