New traffic scheme in Cebu City’s ‘BanTal’ area starts June 23

MONSTROUS JAM. Despite the “No left-turn” policy along the Banilad-Talamban road, traffic yesterday afternoon was bumper-to-bumper near the University of San Carlos-Talamban campus. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Starting Monday, June 23, all public utility vehicles (PUVs) bound for Tintay will follow a new route.

This is after the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) rolls out a modified traffic scheme in the Banilad-Talamban (BanTal) corridor, one of the city’s most congested areas.

Racquel Arce, CCTO head, confirmed on Thursday, June 19, that the rerouting is part of a broader effort to enforce discipline and ease gridlock in the area, which is now officially designated as a “discipline zone.”

“Kung nakabantay mo, two weeks nami nga nag-deploy ug personnel diha sa Bantal — that’s Banilad, Talamban, Pit-os. Gitawag gyud na nato nga discipline zone, diin tanang balaod sa trapiko sa Sugbo atong hugtan dihang dapita,” Arce said.

(If you’ve noticed, we’ve been deploying personnel there in BanTal for two weeks now — that’s Banilad, Talamban, Pit-os. We’ve officially declared it a discipline zone, where all traffic laws in Cebu will be strictly enforced in that area.)

READ: Cebu City traffic: Why is it a perennial problem?

Piecemeal solutions to traffic woes

Under the new scheme, all modern and traditional PUJs bound for Tintay will no longer pass through the Talamban Gym junction.

Instead, from Talamban Road, they will be required to turn right at Highway 77, skip the gym junction, exit near the barangay hall, and proceed directly to Tintay.

“During rush hour, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., tanan MPUJs and PUJs bound for Tintay mo-turn right na sa Highway 77. Dili na sila kadiretso sa gym or sa merkado (They can no longer go straight to the gym or the market),” Arce explained.

She added that transport operators have already been consulted about the changes and agreed to comply with the adjustments starting Monday.

The modified route is part of a larger plan to overhaul traffic behavior in Talamban and enforce stricter rules, including a more aggressive implementation of the city’s truck ban.

“According to the law, exempted unta ang the garbage trucks. Pero sa meeting ganiha, nasabutan nga apil na pod ang basura sa truck ban,” Arce said.

(According to the law, garbage trucks were supposed to be exempted. But in the meeting earlier, it was agreed that garbage will now also be included in the truck ban.)

She noted that even city garbage trucks will now be restricted during specific hours.

The stricter truck ban, which includes garbage trucks, delivery vehicles, and large cargo trucks, will also take effect citywide starting Monday.

“Dili lang ni sa BanTal. Tibuok syudad na ni. Ipaabot nato ang strict enforcement of the truck ban sa entire Cebu City,” she said.

(This isn’t just for BanTal. This will be for the entire city. We will implement the strict enforcement of the truck ban across all of Cebu City.)

The rerouting and enforcement in BanTal, she clarified, are being prioritized first because of the area’s long-standing traffic problems, compounded by narrow roads and improper terminal practices.

“If manglimpyo ta, mag-una gyud ta sa atong tugkaran (If we’re going to clean, we should start with our own front yard),” Arce said. “Talamban is where the incoming mayor lives — that’s where we start. That doesn’t mean other areas will be left behind. After Talamban, we’ll move to IT Park, Salinas Drive, Lahug — until we cover the entire city.”

While Mayor-elect Nestor Archival has yet to officially assume office, Arce said he has been informed about the proposals and expressed support for the initiative.

“Wala pa siya’y term pero among gi-suggest, and okay siya. Amenable siya. Wala siyay problema,” she said.

(He doesn’t have a term yet, but we made the suggestion and he’s okay with it. He’s amenable. He has no problem with it.)

In recent weeks, the CCTO has already observed improvements after implementing rush-hour no-left-turn rules and stricter enforcement against illegal parking and unauthorized habal-habal terminals along the corridor.

“So far, nakita nato ang kausaban. Pero wala pa gani nag-start ang private schools — so dili pa ni mao. I hope ma-sustain gyud nato ni,” Arce said.

(So far, we’ve seen some changes. But private schools haven’t even started yet — so this isn’t it yet. I hope we can really sustain this.)

The rerouting and truck ban enforcement are expected to be closely monitored for impact and further refinement. Meanwhile, motorists are urged to follow traffic rules and avoid obstructing roads, especially in high-volume areas like BanTal. /csl