BAGUIO CITY – The absence of close coordination between implementing agencies and the city government coupled with the inadequate information dissemination on the simultaneous implementation of nationally funded infrastructure projects has been pinpointed as the major cause of tremendous traffic congestions around the city, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said.
The local chief executive revealed it was discovered during the recent meeting of the Traffic and Transport Management Committee (TTMC) meeting that the Department of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) and the contractors who were awarded the major works along several roads in the central business district are failed to coordinate with the city government and traffic officers as well as stakeholders in order to thresh out possible ways and means on how to ease the serious negative effects of the diggings to the worsening traffic problems of the city.
Local residents and visitors in the city were up in arms against the DPWH-BCDEO and public works contactors after they simultaneously implemented excavation and diggings in some major roads that resulted to the occurrence of tremendous traffic congestions all over the city.
“It is very clear that the projects being implemented along national roads are nationally funded and not city funded that is why the DPWH-BCDEO has the jurisdiction over the said projects,” Domogan stressed.
He revealed that during the TTMC meeting, DPWH-BCDE officials and contractors who were awarded projects agreed to work on a 24-hour work on their projects in order to complete their projects on time and lessen the inconvenience being caused by the diggings and excavations to the motorists, especially the students and employees who are usually late in their classes and offices.
Another agreement reached by the stakeholders is that contractors will provide flagmen to assist traffic enforcers in easing the occurrence of tremendous traffic jams in choke points, especially in the areas where the excavation and diggings are being done.
Furthermore, the DPWH-BCDEO and the contractors were also tasked to install more directional signages to guide motorists on the appropriate routes to take in order to evade the traffic congestions on the roads where the projects are being implemented so that they could easily reach their desired destinations.
The Baguio City Police Office – Traffic Management Branch (BCPO-TMB) was ordered to continue looking for alternate routes that could be taken by motorists in order to elude the traffic congestions caused by the simultaneous implementation of various infrastructure projects in the different parts of the city.
Concerned government agencies implementing the different projects must continue conducting massive information dissemination efforts in order to educate the people of the need to implement such rehabilitation, repair and upgrading works along national roads in the different parts of the city.
Domogan explained the city government has no jurisdiction over nationally funded projects like what are now being implemented citywide that it is why it is unfair for people to conclude that the city is remised on its job to inform the people on the projects. By Dexter A. See
