Councilor assures support to new BTAO head

Bacolod City Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the City Council committee on transportation and traffic, assured Patrick Lacson, the newly appointed officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), that he will support its plans and programs to improve the traffic in the locality.

Espino said Wednesday, November 8, that on Tuesday, November 7, he met with Lacson and discussed the responsibilities of the City Council through the committee on transportation and traffic as well as the responsibilities of BTAO under the leadership of the new OIC.

Lacson occupied the post of Police Major Junjie Liba through Memorandum Order No. 0168 issued by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on November 1.

Espino said that ever since, his office has always been open to BTAO, but the previous leadership of BTAO did not inform the City Council about their plans or needs in terms of traffic problems.

"My office has always been open, and I welcome the newly appointed OIC of BTAO, and I have offered my support to his leadership,” he said.

He added that there's been no animosity between the committee on transportation and traffic and BTAO ever since, and it was only the previous leadership of BTAO who made it complicated.

Espino noted that BTAO has an obligation to improve the traffic situation, such as through the conduct of information and dissemination and enforcement, among others.

Espino said it’s also the obligation of the City Council that all the technical reviews made by BTAO be acted upon through the passage of a resolution or an ordinance to make it effective in the city.

The councilor also expressed its support for the new location of the BTAO office at 15th Lacson Street.

This was after Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director Colonel Noel Alino earlier submitted his proposal to Benitez to remove the BTAO from the compound of the BCPO headquarters in Barangay Singcang-Airport for security reasons.

Espino recalled that from the start of the Benitez administration, he also suggested transferring the BTAO office to the city’s lot at Barangay 16.

He said the Philippine National Police (PNP) and BTAO have different obligations or functions.

He said it’s the obligation of the PNP to conduct an investigation into traffic accidents and enforce all local and national laws, while the BTAO is tasked with implementing the local ordinances.

He added that it’s a big challenge for Lacson to address the traffic problem in the city, and he’s open anytime to give suggestions.

Moreover, Espino said the mayor already signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the city and Metro Towing Services to focus on the regulation of illegally parked vehicles.

He said the documents will be forwarded to the City Council for ratification so they can start the operations in various areas of the city.*