WE ARE no stranger to the worsening traffic in Davao City.
Between the late hours of the evening to the early hours of the morning, it is a breeze to go around the city. However, in between the morning and evening peak hours, the traffic is almost unbearable. The summer heat is definitely not helping.
Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) chief Dionisio Abude said among the many reasons for the heavier traffic in the city is the increasing number of vehicles on the roads, ongoing road construction/repair, repair of bridges, widening, and undisciplined drivers.
He added that some motorists illegally park their vehicles, making the lanes narrower and causing traffic.
With Davao's current traffic situation, is there still hope for it to become less heavy? Most likely a yes. Davao City's traffic is not as bad as Metro Manila or Metro Cebu but it has the symptoms that it is going to be there if nothing is done immediately. This means that there is still room to improve the traffic situation.
We do commend the efforts of the City Government in reducing the traffic congestion in Davao City.
One of the strategies the city is banking on is improving its public transport system with the implementation of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS). This system is seen to improve the traffic situation in the city as it replaces the jeepneys plying the main roads. Likewise, it will be a better option for commuters. Hopefully, the transport system will be implemented soon.
New road networks are also being constructed to provide commuters alternative routes and in turn reducing traffic.
The CTTMO has also been stepping up its enforcement of the traffic laws in the city in a bid to discipline drivers.
However, it is also clear that efforts to improve the traffic situation here should be doubled. Maybe the city has to look into much more drastic measures to improve the traffic situation. If it has long term traffic plans, it might want to update it. If it does not have any long term plans for the traffic situation, there might be a need to develop one now.
Davao City is growing at a rapid pace. While some are saying that the worsening traffic is a trade-off of development, we cannot allow that to be the norm. The city has still a lot of room to improve on its traffic situation. If done right, we might still be able to say that "Davao life is here" in the near future.