TRAFFIC volume has gone down as much as 50 percent in Governor M. Cuenco Avenue in Banilad, Cebu City since Feb. 1 but congestion has increased in alternate routes in Mandaue City, an official said.Arnel Tancinco, executive director of the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom), said this trend was noticed when construction started for the Bauilad flyover. “Before Feb. 1, the density of traffic there was high. Now, at any given time of day, it’s almost deserted. Sometimes, no cars pass for as much as five minutes,” Tancinco said of Governor Cuenco Avenue. Tancinco credited this to motorists’ awareness. Motorists, he said, are seeking alternate routes due to the “media hype” of the traffic situation, billboards informing drivers of the construction, and schools informing parents to avoid passing through the Banilad area. Less traffic was also noticed in parts of A.S. Fortuna Street until the Banilad barangay hall in Mandaue City, Tancinco said. In contrast, Tancinco said he has received reports that traffic in Remedios Street in barangay Cabangcalan, Mandaue City, has increased since Feb. 1. Tancinco said he had also observed that traffic along H. Cortes Street, also in Mandaue City, has increased, especially at peak hours in the morning. He said Citom would meet with Manaue City traffic officials to discuss these developments. His advice: avoiding Banilad was a good practice, since in two weeks, one of the two lanes that still remain open along the construction site may have to be closed to make room for heavy equipment to work. The construction site will be fenced off eventually for the safety of workers and motorists, he said. This would make the passable lane even narrower. He said Citom is tyring to determine how many vehicles pass through both directions. Emma Sarador of Citom’s planning division said surveys conducted last year showed that around 1,970 vehicles pass through Governor M. Cuenco Avenue in the morning peak hour between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Around 1,670 cars pass through the area in the afternoon peak hour of 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. She said 80 percent of these vehicles are privately owned, while the remaining 20 percent are public vehicles. | 
