BACOLOD City – The Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway (BANOCEH) is not yet ready for large vehicles during night time, according to the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO).
Jose Antonio Robello, deputy head of BTAO, yesterday said that he conducted his own study of the national highway following the passage of a resolution by the Sangguniang Panlungsod directing the Bacolod Traffic and Transportation Management Department (BTTMD) to carry out a feasibility study on requiring trucks, large vehicles, heavy equipment, and other similar vehicles to exclusively use the BANOCEH.
The said resolution also restricts such vehicles from traversing the Bacolod -Silay Airport Access Road, commonly known as the Circumferential Road.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairman of the SP committee on transportation and traffic, had earlier said the SP directed the BTTMD to conduct the study because there is now the BANOCEH that aims to ease the traffic in the city.
Robello said he is set to submit his recommendations to Espino and one of it is that BANOCEH is not yet ready for night time travel, only feasible for day time travel.
“Safety is one of the reasons why I cited that it is not safe for large vehicles for now to pass along BANOCEH. The road is yet to be fully cemented,” Robello said.
He added: “Some sections of the road have no lightings yet. The Philippine National Police (PNP) record on Sunday, November 24, also showed there were six recorded motorcycle accidents along the area of Barangay Cabug, which is a part of the BANOCEH.”/PN
