Fetalvero: Traffic is a problem

MOTORISTS and commuters already bear the brunt of traffic congestion even if our situation has not yet reached critical level. Should we wait for the inevitable before our city and municipal planners do something about traffic?

On weekdays, if you traverse along the city streets of Cebu, pack with you a lot of patience and make sure you have a lot of fuel in your tank. The same applies when you travel either north- or south-bound. Residents of Liloan and Compostela experience heavy traffic, especially during rush hours, as public transport commuters and motorists share the highway with trailer vans, heavy trucks, oversized cement mixers, fuel tanks and provincial buses.

A year ago, the provincial government rehabilitated the Catarman bridge in Liloan. During the repair that went on for months, the said bridge was impassable hence, heavy trucks and trailer vans had to use the highway. However, after the repair, we were still sharing the highway with heavy vehicles since the bridge’s capacity only holds a load lower than the weight of 10-wheeler trucks.

Since the Catarman bridge supposedly underwent a major repair and the Tayud strip widened, why did our engineers not consider upgrading the load capacity of the bridge so that it can accommodate all heavy trucks and vans?

President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to use his emergency powers in order to solve the traffic problem in Manila, Cebu, Davao and Bacolod. However, Sen. Grace Poe, who heads the Senate Committee on Public Transport, does not believe that we need it to solve the congestion problem.

Authorities in Manila discovered that some malls were built along major thoroughfares. It is their contention that this has contributed to the traffic congestion. Parallel to their dilemma, there are no longer open spaces available in downtown Cebu, therefore development is headed south or north. Malls and other business establishments have sprouted along our highways.

Our provincial planners and local government unit officials should start disallowing these establishments along major thoroughfares. The traffic in and out of these business establishments hampers the easy flow of vehicles.

Delays in our commute are not only counterproductive but are also a discomfort to our senior citizens who suffer from joint pains. It is also unhealthy for our commuters, considering their prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide emissions.

In a recent survey, the Philippines ranks third with the lowest quality of life.

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