BAGUIO CITY – Some 743,238 private and public utility vehicles came in and out of Baguio City from December 20, 2019 to January 2, 2020 based on the motor vehicle count conducted by the personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) on the four major roads lining the city and the lowlands.
Based on the data obtained from the DPWH-BCDEO, there were some 355,749 private and public utility vehicles that went up to the city using Kennon Road, Marcos Highway, Naguilian Road and the newly opened Tubao-Nangalisan-Baguio Road while there were some 387,489 vehicles that went down to the lowlands using the same roads during the aforesaid period.
Naguilian Road recorded the most number of vehicles that came in and went out of the city during the 14-day period with a total of 316,828 followed by Marcos Highway with 278,382 vehicles, Kennon Road with 120,335 vehicles and Tubao-Nangalisan-Baguio Road with some 31,373 vehicles.
The motor vehicle count was conducted by the DPWH-BCDEO personnel during the Yuletide season from 5 am to 11 pm as part of its mandate to monitor the number of motor vehicles plying the different roads within their areas of jurisdiction.
Both residents and tourists experienced tremendous traffic congestion along various roads, especially those in the central business district and those leading to various tourist spots, during most parts of the Yuletide season due to the huge volume of motor vehicles that went up to the city.
On December 23, 2019, some 25,758 vehicles came up to the city while there were some 18,921 vehicles that went down using the same road.
In the case of Marcos highway otherwise known as the Palispis-Aspiras Highway, there were some 11,692 vehicles that came up to the city while there were some 18,393 vehicles that went down to the lowlands using the same road last December 28, 2019.
For Kennon Road, there were some 6,096 vehicles that went up to the city using the scenic zigzag road on December 24, 2019 while there were only some 1,728 vehicles that went down to the lowlands using the said road last December 23, 2019.
Earlier, the inter-agency Kennon Road task force agreed to temporarily open Kennon Road to light vehicles that are going up only from December 21, 2019 to January 6, 2020 to provide motorists the needed alternate route in immediately reaching their destinations in Baguio and the Cordillera and contribute in efforts to lessen the monstrous traffic congestion along Marcos highway which is serving as the primary national road linking Baguio City and the lowlands.
According to the report of the DPWH-BCDEO, there were some 1,190 vehicles that used the new alternate route, particularly the Tubao-Nangalisan-Baguio Road, in coming up to the city while there were some 1,226 vehicles that opted to use the said rod in going down to their desired destination in the lowlands last December 22, 2019.
The motor vehicle count was conducted within the jurisdiction of the aforesaid office and the data gathered will form part of the database for future references.
By HENT