THE Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) is urging motorists and pedestrians to practice stricter road discipline as the city rolls out traffic management upgrades.
Speaking at the iSpeak media forum Sept. 17 at Davao City Hall, CTTMO Acting Department Head Atty. Tristan Dwight Domingo said the city has proposed using local funds to repair and recalibrate broken traffic signals across its network of about 70 signalized intersections.
The move reverses earlier plans to defer individual signal repairs until the full integration of the Davao Bus Project. Instead, the city plans to address aging traffic infrastructure directly to improve traffic flow.
Up to 90 signalized intersections are expected to operate once the full transit network is completed.
Domingo said infrastructure repairs and planned experimental rerouting schemes form part of the “3Es” of traffic management — engineering, education and enforcement.
He said Davao’s existing road network was designed decades ago and can no longer accommodate the city’s growing vehicle volume.
“We have to also understand that ang city nato (our city) is not really designed to accommodate the amount of vehicles that we have now,” Domingo said.
But while the city invests in engineering solutions and prepares to procure wheel clamps for enforcement, Domingo stressed that infrastructure upgrades will have limited impact without public cooperation.
“If you ask me, we can clamp all the vehicles that we want. But is that really what we want? Ngano dili na lang kita mag-parking ug sakto (Why don’t we just park properly),” Domingo said. “Every single one of us has a role to play in all of this. We have to continuously observe traffic rules, educate ourselves, and exercise discipline.”
To strengthen its field presence, Mayor Sebastian Duterte approved the CTTMO’s proposal to hire additional traffic enforcers.
The new personnel will augment the city’s current force of about 600 to 650 traffic enforcers, who work in multiple shifts. Most of the additional personnel will cover nighttime operations as the city’s evening economy continues to grow.
Meanwhile, the local government is procuring 20 additional city buses to expand its interim fleet to 30 units by the first quarter, further supporting free public transportation for Davao commuters. GRS
