Cebu City to look into if waiving fines collected from BanTal traffic violations possible

Local

CEBU City will study whether traffic penalties issued during the first day of full enforcement of Oplan BanTal: Discipline Zone may be waived.

Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff to Mayor Nestor Archival, said the possible waiver would have to be evaluated by the Office of the Mayor because the citations were issued through an official traffic citation form.

The issue involves the 115 citation tickets issued by the CCTO on August 5, the first day of Oplan BanTal’s full enforcement along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.

The city had initially described the traffic scheme as an experimental or simulation phase. It subsequently adjusted the implementation, including reopening the Foodland Flyover to motorcycles on August 6 following concerns over traffic conditions and complaints from motorists.

Asked on Monday, August 17, whether Archival could waive violations committed during the initial implementation, Siasar said the matter would still be studied.

“Estudyhan pa na sa Office of the Mayor,” Siasar said.

However, he noted that the city used a CCTO citation form and that an existing ordinance could require motorists to pay the corresponding penalties.

“If naay ordinansa ana nga obligado sila nga mubayad, maglisod og waive ang Mayor kung part na sa CTTO nga dokumento,” he said.

The possible waiver comes after the CCTO previously maintained that citations issued on August 5 remained valid despite the city’s decision to modify Oplan BanTal the following day.

CCTO head Raquel Arce said on August 7 that the citations were based on existing traffic signs and rules in effect when the motorists were apprehended.

She said motorists were apprehended, among others, for entering areas marked with “No Entry” signs and for crossing solid lane markings.

Arce also acknowledged that motorists had a point in questioning the citations because the city had described Oplan BanTal as a scheme still undergoing evaluation.

However, she said the cancellation of tickets was beyond her authority and would have to undergo the proper administrative process.

According to Arce, any move to cancel the citations would have to go through the Traffic Management Committee Board before reaching the mayor and other approving bodies, including the Cebu City Council and government auditing processes.

Siasar said the city government hopes motorists will look beyond the penalties and understand the purpose of Oplan BanTal, which is to improve traffic flow and discipline along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.

He said the city’s initial enforcement focused on violations such as crossing solid lines and counterflowing.

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

Based on the city’s assessment, he said traffic conditions had improved in the area since the scheme was implemented, although the results were not perfect.

“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,” he said.

Siasar said motorists could initially find the scheme difficult to follow because many had become accustomed to the previous traffic arrangement.(TGP)