BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the Traffic and Transportation Management Committee (TTMC) to review numerous proposals to implement the city’s no parking policy along major roads in the city’s central business district during rush hours to contribute in reducing tremendous traffic congestions in the said areas, particularly in identified chokepoints.
The local chief executive cited various sectors had been proposing that the city government also implement the no parking policy along Harrison road and both sides of Jose Abad Santos Drive, Abanao Street and other major streets in the central business district area from 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 7 pm daily similar to what is being implemented along the whole stretch of Session Road to help in reducing the expected traffic congestions, especially with the upcoming start of classes in the public schools come Monday.
“Our traffic experts have to seriously evaluate the said proposals in order to ease the daily burden of motorists and the general public from the tremendous traffic jams,” Domogan stressed.
The proposals to implement the city’s no parking policy along various roads in the central business district in certain parts of the day cropped up after the city government started operating the Ganza parking area from the controversial Jadewell Parking Systems Corporation following the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) dismissing various petitions filed against the city’s pay parking policy then.
Based on various proposals, the city’s no parking policy should be implemented along major roads in the central business district during rush hours considering the operation of the Ganza parking areas in order to ease the traffic congestions that would be aggravated by the influx of students during Monday’s opening of classes.
According to him, the TTMC continues to accept proposals from various sectors in the city on how to ease the worsening traffic jams in the central business district that tend to affect the image of the city in the social media.
The TTMC is a multi-agency committee created to study and recommend the appropriate programs, projects and policies that should be implemented by the concerned departments of the local government in order to ease the traffic congestions and address major concerns on transportation in the city.
The 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 7 pm no parking along Session road has been implemented over the past several years and has greatly contributed in easing the traffic jams along the city’s main road, thus, the same must also be implemented in various roads within the central business district area in order to allow the free flow of vehicles along the said roads during rush hours.
Domogan said there is no way that the city’s roads would be expanded in order to accommodate the rapid increase in the number of motor vehicles plying the city’s streets because of the lack of substantial space to do so, thus, the only remedy to provide motorists with convenient travel is to adopt the implementation of practical schemes that would result to temporary relief of the tremendous traffic jams.
He appealed to motorists in the city to observe discipline when travelling along the city’s roads, observe traffic signages and make sure that their vehicles are in good running condition in order to contribute in the overall efforts to address traffic. By Dexter A. See
