CITOM Not Consulted on Night Market Plan

The chairman of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) said they were not consulted of the plan to make the night market in Colon street permanent as part of the revitalization project of the city’s downtown area.

Night market, is the annual activity where various vendors displays for a fee of their goods along the stretch of Colon street, oldest street in the country.

Ruben Almendras said CITOM would still conduct a traffic impact study because the stretch of Colon Street from the corner of Osmeña Boulevard up to Mabini Street would be usually closed to traffic whenever the night market starts.

Mayor Michael Rama had already issued an Executive Order dated September 11 for the revitalization project of the downtown area, particularly Colon Street, and the copy of the executive order has been sent already to the Office of the President in Malacañang.

The mayor is planning to propose a P5 million budget for the revitalization of the oldest street in the country and to make it attractive for the people to come and patronize the products in much cheaper prices.

In his executive order, the mayor said the city would be coordinating with the government agencies among them is the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for the realization of the project.

The DPWH officials had already discouraged the city to use the busy roads like Colon Street in the holding of a night market because it can only contribute to traffic congestions.

Several drivers had been complaining every time there is night market held in Colon Street because the traffic authorities will reroute their destinations and it would more costly for them.

“Motaas man gud ang among rota kay magliko-liko na man mi unya kay mo-traffic man pag-ayo, hinay ang among dagan busa kalas kaayo sa gasolina,” said PUJ driver Efren Comahig, whose destination usually passes by Colon Street in going to the port area.

“Himoan g’yud namo na og traffic impact study. Wala pa ko kadawat sa dukomento ana,” said the CITOM Board chairman.

Rama wished that by revitalizing Colon Street it will restore its once held grandeur as the heart of Cebu City’s shopping and business activity centers.

The mayor said Colon Street was once celebrated and famous center of downtown Cebu, but it slowly become a low-grade or second class shopping center after the construction of several malls in uptown areas.