BAGUIO CITY – The city’s Traffic and Transportation Management Committee (TTMC) approved the experimental implementation of a traffic scheme among bus companies using Gov. Pack Road to significantly reduce the traffic congestion along that roadline that constricts other major roads inter-connecting with the said main road.
The new traffic scheme that will involve all bus companies using portions of the road as their parking spaces will involve parking buses slanted to the right portion to make sure that the buses will only maneuver once when parking and backing up from their parking allocations in the area.
The concerned offices of the local government will join forces in clearing the supposed turning points along the road, specifically the wider portion fronting the barangay hall and in front of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) so that buses and private vehicles could easily maneuver in or out of parking.
The TTMC approved the implementation of the new traffic scheme along the road to assess whether it will work before regularizing it after the experimental period, especially during the peak season, and as a model to be adopted during crowd-drawing events in the city when traffic is congested.
Based on the approved traffic scheme, buses will still make use as their turning point the wider portion of the road fronting the barangay hall while private and public utility vehicles will make use of the COMELEC area as their turning point.
However, the TTMC denied the proposal of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) to allow the buses to use Upper Session Road as their exit point because of the already congested road every hour of the day and worse during major events in the city, thus, the best option is to keep the buses along Gov. Pack Road and for them to maneuver within the wider portions of the roadline and exit towards the rotunda and proceed to their points of destination.
The TTMC chaired by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan will clear the areas in front of the barangay hall and the vicinity of the COMELEC to allow vehicles to freely maneuver and prevent further congestions that tend to affect other roads connected with Gov. Pack Road.
The City Engineer’s Office was tasked by the TTMC to install the appropriate signages to guide the public on the new traffic scheme along the roadline and for buses to adjust their slants on the side of the road to allow them to freely maneuver when parking and backing out of their parking spaces.
It was observed by traffic experts that the current positioning of the buses along Gov. Pack Road will entail series of maneuverings before they can move in and out of their parking allocations and these often cause the monstrous traffic jams in the area.
By Dexter A. See
