ILOILO City – How do you solve traffic congestion?
Fifteen technical personnel of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are coming over to study the traffic situation of the city then make recommendations on how to best to manage it, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas.
Pedestrian safety is a big part of this effort.
“We have wide roads but it seems scary to cross the streets,” said Treñas, recalling a vehicular accident last month that killed a school principal and his teacher wife.
The MMDA people will be here for a week beginning next week.
Treñas said he would also seek help from MMDA to “professionalize” Iloilo City’s traffic aides.
The mayor previously said he would be pushing through with the intelligent traffic system (ITS) that former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog proposed in 2017. Such a system could help prevent fatal road accidents, he said.
An ITS involves the use of closed-circuit television cameras capable of determining the speed of vehicles (if they are overspeeding) and recording them. It would also entail the establishment of a command/monitoring center.
Mabilog thought of having an ITS for the city to address traffic congestion, stop illegal parking and curb reckless driving that mostly result to vehicular accidents.
He said an ITS would discourage drivers from disregarding traffic rules and regulations, and it would also help law enforcers to easily identify and catch violators.
In January 2017 Mabilog formed a technical working group and the city government allotted P25 million for the system.
But in October 2017 Mabilog was dismissed from the service by the Office of the Ombudsman for unexplained wealth. Then vice mayor Jose Espinosa III who assumed Mabilog’s post put the project on hold./PN
I’ve spent countless hours walking the streets of IloIlo. There isn’t an area in the city where POVs aren’t illegally parked, often times blocking SIDEWALKs. This places a huge threat to pedestrians, especially children. Additionally, POVs arbitrarily park on the curbs of main thoroughfares limiting the flow of traffic and creating congestion. The issues facing the city is easy enough to address. All you need is the intestinal fortitude and enforcement to make the streets safer for all users.
The traffic situation could easily be fixed if the people here were actually taught how to drive correctly!! Operating a vehicle does NOT mean someone knows HOW to drive! There’s a big difference between the two.
The traffic situation in the city is not really complicated. All we need are competent and “well informed” traffic enforcers who are determined to enforce existing traffic rules and regulations.
They should not be intimidated by drivers specially the ones driving flashy cars. These people acts as if they are untouchables and above the law.
One glaring example is allowing private vehicles to use their hazard lights to park in even busy streets without being cited for obstruction or illegal parking. Are our enforcers afraid of them?
Another is the habit of allowing drivers occupying the 3rd and 4th lanes in making a left turn at the
detriment of the flow of traffic, thus creating a traffic jam. This is happening right in front of an enforcer.
Lastly, we should also limit the issuance of permit to stage useless parades that more often results
only in creating chaotic traffic mess. Why close main roads for a mostly useless parade, at rush at that.
put up trains / cab in the city connecting municipalities and towns. government to manage and owned public bus transportation and remove public jeepneys except taxis. establish intl standards of roads and supply traffic signages, cautions and safety warn8ng signs, educate/re educate new and old drivers by requiring all drivers + applicants to undergo extensive seminars and actual driving, provide and educate policemen of intl traffic management teaching skills and to manage, evaluate and handle the actual driving test of all applicants in passing the driving lincesure. rich people and businessmen with money not to be tolerated by just giving money in the envelope and hand in to lto just to pass and get the driving license without passing this government institution who solely do the trainings, evaluations, passing and issuance of driving licenses. lto should have limitations as to implementing the actual driv8ng test.. it should be the work of a policemen assigned to do the task whois knowledgeable and well trained na dwith integrity for a public service.