LIGA ng Barangay of Cagayan de Oro president Alam Lim plans to mobilize the village watchmen as force multipliers of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) to help solve the city’s traffic problem.
During the meeting of the Traffic Management Board (TMB) on Wednesday, February 6, Lim said allowing village watchmen to help the RTA is the fastest solution to alleviate the traffic.
Lim said he is also pushing for effective ways of communicating to the public the problem and ask motorists, commuters and pedestrians alike to strictly observe traffic rules.
“We need to address it as a city, as a community, tanan dapat naay contribution,” said Lim.
Citing figures from the Land Transportation Office, 5,000 new cars are added on city roads every year, but Lim said roads are not getting any wider. While there are new roads, some are not passable due to ongoing construction of drainage projects.
“Right now, we are working with the RTA for the deputation of barangay tanods (village watchmen) so they can be deployed immediately in traffic chokepoints. We will work to ensure that there is constant flow of vehicles even if it is slow,” Lim said.
Discussions in the meeting include the improvement of traffic, establishment of effective and efficient traffic solutions, and defining the roles of each board member and support groups.
The board will also study impacts of road projects to the traffic, and the unregulated operations of tricycles and pedicabs along national highways.