Gealon to mayor’s office: Buy heavy-duty tow truck

A LOCAL legislator has filed resolutions requesting the Office of the Mayor to acquire a heavy-duty, high-end tow truck that is capable of towing an 18-wheeler truck.

Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon is also asking the Cebu City Transportation Office to draft a traffic management protocol for the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) which runs through the South Road Properties (SRP).

His requests came after motorists were stuck in four-hour traffic caused by a truck that broke down along the CSCR on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.

In a chat message on Saturday, Feb. 24, Gealon, who also chairs the Traffic Management Coordination Committee (TMC), said the City has a flatbed tow truck and a mini tow truck, which are not capable of towing heavy vehicles.

They can only manage a sports utility vehicle, he said.

“Atong gi-request diha nga resolution kadtong kinadak-an na, kay sa uban naa ra may mga tow trucks makakaya bira stalled vehicles nga di kaayo dagko (I’m requesting for the biggest tow truck that can tow heavy vehicles),” Gealon said.

He hopes the City will acquire a heavy-duty tow truck as soon as possible.

He said the mayor’s office will fund the procurement.

Once purchased, the tow truck will be issued to the CCTO.

Gealon said his proposed resolution was approved unanimously on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

On Feb 20, the trailer truck, which was transporting a 20-footer container van, experienced a malfunction in the middle of the viaduct section of the CSCR around 5 a.m. It was not until past 10 a.m. when the truck was towed away.

Gealon said heavy traffic like the one on Tuesday can disrupt the city’s economy, as well as affect people’s lives.

In another resolution, which was also approved last Wednesday, Gealon requested the CCTO to draft a traffic management protocol to address cases of stalled trucks along the CSCR to prevent severe traffic congestion.

“The protocol should include the automatic diversion of vehicles to alternative routes such as Vestil Road, El Pardo, and Inayawan,” he said, in the resolution.

Gealon also requested the CCTO to allocate resources, which include personnel and vehicles, to exclusively manage traffic at the SRP.

“It may be composed of a patrol team, towing truck team, motorcycle team for faster mobility and at least 30 traffic enforcers on shifting 24/7 along the SRP stretch of coastal road, including the viaduct and tunnel,” he said.

Regarding the four-hour traffic congestion last Tuesday, Gealon also requested the City Legal Office to conduct an investigation and file the appropriate legal action against the driver, owner or operator of the stalled truck.

In such incidents, Gealon also asked the mayor’s office to impose substantial administrative fines proportional to the duration of obstruction caused by stalled trucks and other vehicles on all roads, particularly major thoroughfares, due to their lack of roadworthiness.

Credits