The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) is not keen on recommending the suspension of the implementation of the number coding scheme during the upcoming October 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) and the commemoration of All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day in the city to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular traffic around the city.
BCPO City Director Police Col. Francisco Bulwayan, Jr. pointed out that the suspension of the number coding scheme will not actually help in addressing the traffic problems of the city that is why it should be continuously enforced even during holidays as provided in the ordinance that put in place the said scheme.
He said that with the expected influx of residents and visitors to the city during the expected on weekend, the volume of vehicles that will roam around the city will surely increase that is why it is still best that the number coding scheme will be in effect to be able to contain the number of vehicles that will be allowed to ply along the major roads in the city that are covered under the said traffic scheme to prevent the monstrous traffic jams.
The BCPO official claimed that the city’s number coding ordinance did not explicitly provide that its implementation will be suspended during holidays that is why it is still best to continuously implement the same during holidays as part of the measures to partially address the traffic congestions that happen in areas where there are huge volume of motorists.
Bulwayan said that the BCPO has more than enough uniformed personnel and force multipliers that is why the local police force will not request any augmentation from the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera during the aforesaid holidays to be able to maintain law and order in the city.
Ordinance 001, series of 2003 as amended otherwise known as the Baguio Number Coding Scheme provided for the implementation of the number coding scheme in major roads around the city to help address the traffic congestion caused by the volume of motor vehicles that ply various routes where its implementation include holidays.