BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia met with the officials of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) at their head office in Manila Tuesday to discuss the proposed “Traffic Master Plan for Bacolod City.”
Leonardia met with MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, general manager Jose Arturo Garcia, and Traffic and Engineering Center director Neomie Recio to finalize the visit of a 15-man team of experts to the city.
The mayor was accompanied by Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) head Supt. Luisito Acebuche, City Development Council vice chairman George Zulueta, and Executive Assistant Rodel Parcon.
The mayor said 15 MMDA traffic experts, led by Recio, will arrive in Bacolod on December 2 and stay until December 15 to study the traffic situation in the city.
It can be recalled that the city earlier requested Lim the assistance of MMDA to study the traffic situation in the city and make recommendations on how it can be improved.
Leonardia had also met with MMDA officials months ago. He was then accompanied by City Administrator John Orola and City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan. City representatives had been meeting with MMDA technical men since then.
The MMDA performs planning, monitoring and coordinative functions, and in the process exercises regulatory and supervisory authority over the delivery of metro-wide services within Metro Manila.
A traffic master plan could cost millions if done by private groups but MMDA is assisting Bacolod City for free.
Traffic volume
Leonardia said that according to a report of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the number of registered motor vehicles in Bacolod in 2017 was 92,827, or an increase of 7,849 as compared to 84,978 in 2016.
The LTO told Leonardia that the number of vehicles in 2017, which was 92,827, is already comparable to the total number of cars of a region in other parts of the country.
“This is good news because it shows people have purchasing power and the economy is good. But, on the other hand, the volume of motor vehicles can also create traffic problems. Come to think about it, about one-fourth of all vehicles in Western Visayas is registered in Bacolod alone, without counting those from Cadiz, San Carlos, Pontevedra and Himamaylan,” the mayor added.
“We will have to find ways and means to remedy the impact of traffic in our city. One of these, I believe, and a major remedy at that, is coming up with a master plan for Bacolod,” he stressed.
“The MMDA, I believe, has the capabilities, expertise and competence to help us on this. That is why we are dealing with no less than the chairman himself, General Danilo Lim, and he was so gracious because he has also visited Bacolod. He assured us that MMDA will give us the best,” Leonardia said. (PR)