By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella criticized the current city government on its handling of traffic, calling the situation “intolerable.”

“During my time, the traffic was not really a problem; and now you have to bring in the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority)?” he questioned. “It’s an insult that the MMDA was called in!”

Puentevella pointed out, Metro Manila is “one of the worst” when it comes to traffic.

Last year, a study by the Boston Consulting Group found Metro Manila has the third-worst traffic situation in Southeast Asia behind Bangkok, Thailand and Jakarta, Indonesia. They also project the city to reach “standstill levels,” or a situation where vehicles operate at less than 10 kilometers per hour, by 2022.

The former mayor said the traffic situation is an indication voters must “change the administration.”

He also cited Davao City as an example, pointing out, the city does not have overpasses or underpasses yet they are able to manage their traffic situation.

Meanwhile, Puentevella, who is running in the upcoming 2019 midterm elections for Bacolod City lone district representative, said if he were to be elected lone district congressman next year, a position he held from 2001 to 2010, he would demand the removal of the city’s district engineer, as well as call an investigation into the “regional-level higher ups” of the Department of Public Works and Highways./DGB, WDJ