THE City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) has requested a budget for 150 additional personnel to strengthen traffic management in Davao City, especially with the opening of new roads and the planned establishment of another satellite office.
CTTMO Head Dionisio Abude, during the I-Speak Media Forum on Thursday, said the additional enforcers will support the overall operations of the office.
“Gihimo namo ni nga request para sa kadtong areas nga wala gyud na detail regularly sa mga intersection or other congested areas (We made this request for areas without detailed personnel on intersections or other congested areas),” Abude explained.
He also shared that part of the plan is to assign some of the new enforcers on soon-to-open roads.
“Nakita namo nga dili lang diay tong mga area nga na detail nato ang traffic enforcers, kundili sa mga coming na kalsada or kani atong coastal road, kining atong bypass road, ug kani atong additional nga pag-create ug activate sa atong Bunawan Satellite Office (We also saw that aside from current areas with traffic enforcers, we need to add more for the coastal road, bypass road, the creation and activation of the Bunawan Satellite Office),” he said, adding that some of the needed manpower will also be deployed to the Special Operations Team and Anti-Jaywalking Unit.
For the Anti-Jaywalking implementation, Abude said they plan to place a monitoring post on the middle island near the Almendras Gym overpass. He said that wanted to see that the pedestrian lane will only be used by senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and, pregnant women.
Meanwhile, the CTTMO is also working on the revision of the proposed one-way traffic scheme along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue and Monteverde Street, which is currently under review by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“After sa revision, once mahatagan ang atong opisina og authority, experimental for one month or six months depende sa council unsa ilang ihatag sa atoa, then atoa na nga i-implement para makita unsay resulta (After the revision, if the council gives us authority to implement it for one month or six months on an experimental basis, then we will proceed and monitor the results),” Abude said.
He also assured the public that the CTTMO is managing traffic flow amid the total closure of the Agdao Flyover, which is now under repair.
Traffic advisories have been issued from Panacan to Toril, while daily monitoring and deployment of enforcers in nearby intersections are being conducted to ease congestions, especially during peak hours.
Abude called on the public to plan their trips ahead, follow advisories, and remain patient with possible delays due to the road closures.
“When we bared the traffic plan at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Thursday, the representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways were also present. They said it is possible that repairs may be completed even before October 5,” he added. CIO