BAGUIO CITY – Plans on imposing congestion fees at major roads in Baguio continue to generate adverse reactions from the public.
Elected city officials and prominent individuals in the city have given their opinion regarding the plan.
“Tutol kami sa congestion fee. It does not address traffic congestion. It will only transfer traffic at areas where fees will not be collected,” former congressman and mayor Mauricio Domogan said.
“The congestion fee is nothing more than a business proposition. It is anti-poor,” said Engr. Ted Tan, a former traffic consultant of the city’s Traffic and Transportation Management Committee.
“The congestion fee is like a toll fee system collected by a private entity but using public roads,” said Councilor Benny Bomogao, former chair of the city council Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Traffic Legislation.
In their public engagements, the group constantly emphasizes that collecting a congestion fee is not a solution to traffic congestion.
They also pointed out that the city government and the proponent chose not to disclose the fact that collections from a single motorist can multiply in case they happen to pass several times through a road where fees are being collected.
“Nu sika ket taxi driver nga mamin-ano nga lumabas diay Session Road for example, di pay ket mamin- adu ka nga agbayad ti congestion fee,” Domogan pointed out.
They maintain traffic congestion can be addressed by following the 3E’s in traffic management – education, engineering and enforcement. However, they said this should not be done by exacting money from motorists.
A tollways company has proposed to regulate traffic using artificial intelligence.
The company also proposed collection of congestion or mobility fees, which the public is opposing. The proposed fees are between P250 to P50 depending on the type of vehicle, when entering the central business district at “peak hours.”
