Motorists cannot have traffic citation tickets issued during the rollout of Oplan BanTal: Discipline Zone voided simply because the Banilad flyover had not yet opened, the Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO) said.
CCTO Department Head Raquel Arce said existing traffic signages, rather than the operational status of the flyover, served as the basis for enforcement along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.
She said traffic personnel apprehended motorists for violations of existing traffic rules, including entering “No Entry” zones, misusing designated motorcycle lanes and crossing solid lane markings along Governor Cuenco Avenue.
“In the first place, we have traffic signages, and those traffic signages were the basis of the apprehensions,” Arce said.
Arce said the signages remained enforceable until they were removed at 8 a.m., when the Banilad flyover officially opened. Updated signages were immediately installed afterward to reflect the new traffic arrangement, including the designation of the outermost motorcycle lanes opposite Gaisano Country Mall.
She also rejected calls from motorcycle groups and other motorists to cancel citations issued during the program’s trial period, saying CCTO officials do not have the authority to unilaterally void tickets.
“During my term, I have never practiced cancellation,” Arce said. “Allowing an enforcer or a department head to void citation tickets opens avenues for unfair practice and potential corruption.”
Arce acknowledged motorists’ argument that citations issued during the experimental phase should be waived but said any request for cancellation must undergo the proper administrative process.
Motorists seeking to have their citations invalidated must file a formal petition before the Traffic Management Coordination (TMC) Board.
Arce said citation tickets are considered official accountable forms, requiring several levels of review before they can be canceled. The process begins with evaluation and approval by the TMC Board, followed by endorsement to the Office of the City Mayor, authorization by the Cebu City Council and final administrative review by the Commission on Audit (COA).
She warned that the process could take longer than the 60-day period allowed for settling traffic penalties.
The issue arose following the implementation of Oplan BanTal on Aug. 1 after a five-day information and education campaign along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.
The traffic scheme requires public utility vehicles (PUVs) and public utility jeepneys (PUJs) to use designated loading and unloading lay-bys, directs pedestrians to designated crossing areas and provides dedicated outer motorcycle lanes.
CCTO clarified that the outermost motorcycle lanes are not exclusively for motorcycles. Four-wheeled vehicles may temporarily use them when turning right, accessing establishments or going around stalled vehicles, subject to traffic rules.
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