THE unwanted distinction as the worst area to be a driver in 2016 belongs to the Queen City of the South, according to traffic app Waze.
But wait, all Bacolod citizens and motorists must rise up and remind Waze that the city has all that it takes to be a contender within the next five years, if not earlier.
Bacolod drivers know how to read traffic signs but since these are not in Ilonggo they choose to ignore the steel placards. They park even right beside “No Parking” signs and stop and turn where it is prohibited. Why, they even turn around in road intersections and slots with “No U Turn” signs. Drivers in Bacolod think it’s too much trouble to clear pedestrian lanes and open intersections wide because they fear other drivers would appropriate for themselves the space left open. Hapless pedestrians have to wiggle their way to cross the street.
Clearing the right lane at all times is also not a virtue of Bacolod drivers, most notably those operating public utility vehicles who impede the flow of vehicles turning right on red. In fact, they use the right lane in intersections to load or unload their fare. Stopping in the middle of the street to cater to their passengers is also one of their favorite maneuvers. But the most obnoxious is going against the flow of traffic to be first on green, instantly making a bottleneck in road intersections to the chagrin of oncoming motorists.
Bikes and three wheelers also make the streets of Bacolod chaotic and dangerous for other motorists and pedestrians. Tricycles and trisikads have no well-defined routes and they turn and park wherever they want. Pedal power obstructs traffic when they venture on to busy roads. They also use street corners and pedestrian lanes as their terminals where they await passengers.
The most innovative maneuver of motor bike drivers who can’t wait for the traffic light to go green is to turn right and find an opening where they can insert to turn around and again turn right. With this tactic they avoid waiting a few seconds on red and are able to continue on to their merry way. The danger is that they block on-rushing vehicles as they turn around to find their way to make another right.
And to top it all, these things happen right under the noses of perhaps the friendliest corps of traffic enforcers in the land. With their new bright red uniforms, Bacolod traffic supervisors effectively manage stop and go intervals but fail to clear right lanes of obstructions. They allow street corners to be used as passenger terminal, even mingling clueless with people waiting for their ride.
Motorists violating rules commanded by very clear signs go scot-free. Stopping mid-street to load or unload passengers seems like a normal occurrence in Bacolod because enforcers don’t lift a finger to stop the practice. Clearly, they keep unissued traffic tickets close to their pockets.
There is an unusual parking phenomenon in Bacolod. On a random school day, cars of students from a prominent school use the road shoulders and one lane of C.L. Montelibano Drive as wait-on-garage. There must be an ordinance allowing this, otherwise “conscientious” enforcers of traffic rules would be scandalized to see what’s happening.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Bacolod has a legitimate claim to Waze’s un-coveted recognition as the worst urban area to be a driver in a year or so, at least in driver behavior and rules enforcement categories, among other considerations.