THE Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) said one of the reasons for the heavier traffic in the city is the increasing number of vehicles on the roads.
CTTMO chief Dionisio Abude said Tuesday, May 28, 2019, that there are several other factors that contribute to the worsening traffic condition in the city, such as the ongoing road construction/repair, repair of bridges, widening, and undisciplined drivers.
He added that some motorists illegally park their vehicles, making the lanes narrower thus, there is a high demand for parking spaces.
Heavy traffic is mostly observed in downtown areas due to the ongoing underground cabling works of the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) that aims to eliminate unsightly electric and telecommunication cables on the city streets. The project is currently on its first phase along C.M. Recto St., wherein it covers the junction of San Pedro Street up to R. Magsaysay Avenue.
Abude said they are now crafting plans on how to mitigate the traffic in the city and propose it to the local government.
To date, the government has been crafting solutions to address traffic woes like the construction of bypass roads, coastal roads, and road widening.
Meanwhile, Land Transportation Office (LTO) 11 Law Enforcement Unit Chief Benjamin Antonio told SunStar Davao on Tuesday that in Davao City, there were a total of 163,824 registered motor vehicles and 585,517 in the whole Davao region as of 2018.
For the license issued within Davao City offices, they also recorded 140,194 released license composed of Professional 57,039; Non-Prof 34,579; Student Permit 48,437; and Conductor 139.
Dabawenyos have expressed concern over the worsening traffic in Davao City. Lyn, 35, an OFW, said after seeing the heavy traffic while going to the North from downtown, she was worried that she might not be able to make it to her flight. It took her more than two hours to get to Tibungco coming from Lanang. Before, it would only take her around 30 minutes.
After arriving home, she quickly arranged her luggage and immediately went to the airport to catch her flight since she must be there two hours before her scheduled flight. Instead of riding a four-wheeled vehicle, she opted to ride a motorcycle going to Buhangin to escape the heavy traffic.
Traffic in the northern part of the city has also gone worse in the past few months. The congestion would start from Tibungco all the way to Panacan.
On Monday, Davao City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang urged the next City Council to prioritize a re-routing scheme to address traffic problem. He is also calling on all private subdivisions to open their roads to the public.