AS TRAFFIC congestion continues to worsen in La Trinidad, members of the municipal council asked President Rodrigo Duterte to allocate P10 billion for a modern transit system in the valley.

The request is contained in a resolution passed by the municipal council.

Municipal records show a 50.26-percent increase in the number of vehicles registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to 30,444 this year from 2012.

The resolution, introduced by Councilor Guiller Galwan and Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative Pendon Thompson, states that public transport services are mostly road-based, low-occupancy vehicles which congest roads and whose capacities are filled up especially during peak hours.

“There is a need to put a public transport system in the municipality that will suffice service in the travel demand of people in a manner that will minimize travel delays and reduce air pollution,” the resolution stated.

Galwan said a mass transport system, such as trains or buses, would ease traffic congestion.

The resolution noted that traffic congestion has caused travel delays while the lack of a mass transport system causes inconvenience among commuters.

The resolution also noted that the increasing number of vehicles contributes to air pollution, which is detrimental to people's health.