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Thursday, October 06, 2005
Dads hit drivers for defying traffic rules
By Rimaliza Opiña
EVEN Baguio City councilors agree with commuters that Aurora Hill and Trancoville drivers act as "kings of the road" for openly loading and unloading passengers in prohibited areas, causing congestion on both lanes of Harrison Road and Magsaysay Avenue.
This was brought to the fore as the council was discussing the crafting of a comprehensive traffic and transportation ordinance for Baguio.
The City Council committee on public utilities, transportation and traffic legislation then recommended the identification of a staging area for Aurora Hill jeepneys to avoid clogging Harrison Road.
The committee also presented a June 2005 memorandum of agreement (MOA) between then Traffic Management Branch (TMB) chief Edward Cutiyog and association presidents traversing the Bonifactio-Leonila Hill routes, which contained rules and penalties on the use of Jacinto Street as their staging area.
But Councilor Edilberto Tenefranchia said the MOA has not solved the problem on traffic congestion.
He added that providing a staging area for a particular jeepney association is a piecemeal solution to the problem. He also warned that the council would lose its relevance as a policy making body if they allow the police and the drivers to be making their own rules on how to manage traffic flow. "Is the traffic ordinance a question of contract or is it a question of law?"
While recognizing the urgency of decongesting two of the city's major thoroughfares, Tenefrancia said the proper remedy would be to refer the matter to the mayor so that proper coordination with the TMB is undertaken.
"Legislation is slow, that is why the mayor and the police can act in some emergency situations like this. Let us avail of this privilege. What it (providing a staging area) does now does not solve the problem. Let the mayor and the police address this for the moment while we undergo a thorough revision of the ordinance," Tenefrancia said.
(October 6, 2005 issue)
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