BAGUIO CITY – The city government announced that the comprehensive report of traffic experts from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be available to the city within three to four months.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the MMDA traffic experts completed the study of the traffic situation in the different parts of the city with the assistance of their traffic simulation survey so what is being awaited is the comprehensive report with recommendations for the city government to implement whatever is doable to ease the traffic congestions around the city.
However, he claimed the MMDA traffic experts provided the city government with initial findings and recommendations on the prevailing traffic situation in the different parts of the city now being worked on by technical people of the city government for quick wins in improving the traffic jams.
The city chief executive disclosed certain adjustments are being done in the geometric designs of some of the pedestrian lanes in some intersections in the central business district area to help improve the flow of traffic in the city aside from improving the traffic signages in all roads and provide motorists with a convenient and stress-free travel around the city.
Further, he stated traffic enforcers in the city underwent the necessary training to ensure they will correct their previous ways of enforcing traffic laws, rules and regulations to avoid being unduly charged by the motorists they apprehend.
One of the present administration’s 15-point collective agenda agreed upon by both the executive and legislative departments is aggressive traffic management to entice more visitors to the city and enjoy the city’s cool weather and scenic tourist spots.
Earlier, city tourism industry stakeholders admitted one of the problems of tourists visiting the city is traffic, the reason some have second thoughts in coming up to the city to spend their vacation.
Magalong assured that the city’s traffic enforcers will continue to improve their skills and knowledge on effective and efficient traffic enforcement through the various trainings.
Apart from working on the enhancement of different intersections in the different parts of the city to help ease the traffic jams, especially during the peak tourism months, the city government will also invest on the purchase of state-of-the-art traffic lights to ensure synchronization of the same to facilitate traffic flow in the central business district area.
Magalong explained the city government will base its comprehensive approach in dealing with the prevailing traffic jams in the city upon receipt of the comprehensive report from the MMDA considering that the findings and recommendations were produced by the traffic simulation software used in conducting the study of the prevailing traffic situation in the different parts of the city.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
