Fines for scrapped BanTal flyover traffic scheme violators stay

Local

REOPENING the flyover in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City to motorcycles did not wipe the slate clean for riders who were ticketed a day earlier.

The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) has clarified that citation tickets issued on August 5, the first day of full enforcement of Oplan BanTal, remain valid despite the city's decision to restore motorcycle access to the flyover the following day.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Aug. 7, CCTO chief Raquel Arce dismissed claims that the policy adjustment automatically rendered earlier apprehensions void.

"It's legit," Arce said when asked whether citation tickets issued before the reopening had become null and void.

According to Arce, traffic enforcers acted on existing traffic regulations and road signs that were in effect at the time motorists were apprehended.

"There were traffic signs that served as the basis for the apprehensions. There was a 'No Entry' sign," she said.

She explained that violations were not limited to motorists entering the flyover but also included offenses such as crossing solid lane markings and failing to stay within the designated motorcycle lane.

Arce stressed that these were not newly created violations introduced under Oplan BanTal.

She explained that the city only removed the "No Entry" signs moments before reopening the flyover at exactly 8 a.m. on Thursday.

At the same time, CCTO installed signs directing motorcycles to use the designated outermost lane along Gov. Cuenco Avenue.

Because the prohibitory signs were still standing on August 5, Arce said motorists who ignored them were lawfully cited.

"As far as those apprehensions are concerned, they were legitimate," she said.

She added that once the signs had been removed, motorists were likewise no longer violating that particular restriction by using the flyover.

The clarification comes after Cebu City eased one of Oplan BanTal's most controversial traffic rules just a day after its full implementation.

Authorities reopened the Foodland Flyover to motorcycles on Thursday following complaints from riders who said the alternative route beneath the structure created heavier congestion and confusion.

Arce has repeatedly maintained that the adjustment does not mean the city's traffic discipline campaign failed.

Instead, she described it as part of the continuing evaluation of Oplan BanTal as traffic managers refine the scheme based on actual road conditions while keeping its overall objective of improving discipline along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.

Some motorists have argued that because Oplan BanTal is still under evaluation, citation tickets issued during its initial implementation should be cancelled.

Arce, however, said such a decision is beyond the authority of the CCTO.

She said she has never adopted a policy of cancelling citations during her tenure, warning that allowing officials or enforcers to revoke tickets at their discretion could open the door to corruption and unfair treatment.

Instead, she encouraged motorists to formally bring their concerns before the Traffic Management Committee (TMC) Board.

"I'm not closing the door," Arce said, but emphasized that the matter is no longer within her authority.

Even if a request to cancel citations is entertained, Arce said the process would not be simple.

She explained that any cancellation would first have to be evaluated by the TMC Board, chaired by Lawyer Rico Rey Francis Holganza, before it could be endorsed to the mayor.

From there, the matter could still require action by the Cebu City Council and would eventually be subject to government accountability procedures, including review by the Commission on Audit.

Given the lengthy process, Arce noted that the reglementary period for traffic violations could already expire before any decision is reached.

"They are valid apprehensions," Arce reiterated. "Yes, they remain valid."(TGP)