An unsolicited solution to our traffic woes

Posted by watchmen
October 30, 2017
Posted in OPINION
By Atty. Joel G. Dojillo
The traffic situation in Bacolod City is unquestionably getting worse every day. In a year or two it would become unbearable similar if not worse than that in Metro Manila. It will definitely soon become the new normal, unless some drastic and immediate action is taken.
The deployment of number of traffic enforcers has to a certain degree ease a little the traffic problem. However, we should not entertain the illusion that the same is the ultimate solution to our traffic woes.
This is so because unlike at the early stage of a city development, problems regarding traffic are those simply involving the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations. The traffic enforcement then was simply police matter with little interference from the city government. Traffic lights were more status symbols than necessity. However, as the city grows the nature of the problems changes from simple enforcement of traffic rules to one of management.
In fact, even the deployment of traffic enforcers is not very helpful without proper management and training. Believe it or not, there were times when the presence of traffic enforcers, even, exacerbates instead of easing, the traffic problems in certain areas. In Barangay Villamonte for example, where we use to have our daily morning coffee, a number of us observed that the traffic worsen when Barangay traffic enforcers started manning traffic there lately.
This so because traffic enforcers have not been properly trained on how to asses or deal with a given traffic situations. A number of them have the tendency to exhaust passage of vehicles in minor city’s streets even if they were still a little bit far from the intersections by directing them to move faster instead of signaling them to stop already. As a result, vehicles in the major street build up.
Even traffic lights are not very helpful if the time span for stop, go and left turn are not correctly calibrated based on the counted number of vehicles and thus the time span needs continued adjustment or re-adjustment.
In Lacson and Galo streets it seems that BTAO cannot make up their mind as to the traffic rule that should govern said area.
There were times when barriers are placed in the middle of Lacson St. purposely to prevent few vehicles passing Galo St. from traversing Lacson St and vehicle passing along Lacson St. from north to south from making a left turn in Galo St. The same seem to be the correct policy.
But there were also times when no such barriers are so placed and instead traffic enforcers are deployed to man the traffic guiding few vehicles passing Galo St. to traverse Lacson St. and vehicles passing Lacson St from north to south to make a left turn in Galo St. In so doing, vehicles passing Lacson which is unquestionably a very busy street build up sometime stretching from Rizal St. to Lacson St. There were even times when vehicles were at stand still in the middle of Lacson/Burgos Sts. In short, there is traffic jam even in the streets with traffic lights
The circumferential road has diverted sugarcane haulers and other heavy traffic from the city, but we have long been seeing newer and bigger source of pressure. Today a look at a map of Bacolod City shows a mushrooming of residential subdivisions around the city where there was sugar land about fifty years ago. And it’s not slowing down. Added to it are people from the neighboring towns and cities that troops to the city malls situated in the city centers everyday and many of them have decided to stay in the city’s sidewalks and in vacant lots for good. The proliferation of malls mostly in the city centers not only compounded the problem but even made them beyond solution for as much as would like it, we can no longer widen our city streets.
Clearly and undoubtedly, this is no longer simply police matter. It is now a problem of city management. Thus, there is a need for the establishment of an honest to goodness traffic management committee or group under the office of the city mayor composed among others, by the city administrator, city development officer, city engineer and traffic police officer etc.
In the short term, the city should conduct a serious and continuous study of the traffic rules and regulations as well comprehensive training of traffic enforcers on how to correctly man the traffic. Passing a Traffic Code should be seriously considered or pursued.
The long-term solution of Bacolod City’s traffic problem is to integrate it to its development plan. It involves developing multiple growth center connected by carefully laid-out road networks and flow system so traffic volume and flow can be decongested. The city should hasten the construction of another circumferential road/s, relocation and construction of new markets and public schools in the new growth areas. Zoning ordinance must be completely overhauled with the end in view of re-directing big business establishments out of the city center by giving substantial incentive which can anyway be compensated by the expected increase of real estate taxes in the new growth areas. Even relocations private schools or establishments of extension schools outside the growth center should be encouraged. Development of a mass transport system into and out of the city and along major thoroughfares is necessary.
These are only some of the general ideas that the committee may consider or study, improve and implement at the earliest possible time. (End)

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