A THREE-MONTH experimental truck ban in Davao City will begin Wednesday, March 1, after it was passed on suspended rules by the 18th City Council on Tuesday.
Based on a copy of the certificate of urgency filed and signed by acting Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag, the ban starts from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The experimental ban will end in May.
Trucks coming from General Santos City and Cotabato City will be allowed to wait from the vicinity GTH, Toril up to Crossing Mergrande Beach Resort.
The trucks coming from southbound and northbound route of Cagayan and Bukidnon will halt and park from Catalunan Pequeño Proper up to corner Greenhills Subdivision.
Northbound to southbound route from Davao Del Sur area will be stopped and be asked to wait from Bunawan Proper up to the vicinity of Sumifru in Tibungco until the hours of the ban will be lifted.
The City Transportation and Traffic Management Office was directed to coordinate with the City Planning Development Office, Land Transportation Office and the Highway Patrol Group in submitting necessary Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA).
The resolution was read by vice chair of committee of transportation Davao City Councilor Jesus Joseph Zozobrado on Tuesday.
In an interview, Davao City Councilor Conrado Baluran, proponent of the amendments of the truck ban, said that TIA will be used as the basis of the truck ban amendment.
“We will do this because some businessmen may ask for the basis of the ban,” Baluran said.
Baluran, on Tuesday, withdrew the approved committee report on the truck ban amendment after Davao City Councilor Pilar Braga read the criticism of Dario Pampanga, one the people who helped in the crafting of Davao City's traffic code, asking for a more comprehensive report stating that the previous experimental ban did not include the afternoon schedule.
Pampanga also suggested the businessmen in the city should be included in the crafting of the ordinance and in the public hearing.
Aside from Pampanga, Councilor Victorio Advincula Jr. raised that more documentary basis for the ordinance should be gathered.
The councilors, after a short recess, discussed the proper action towards the legislation, thus, later agreed on an experimental ban.