A netizen wrote on social media his observations on Davao City’s worsening traffic problems.
Among his insights:
1. Increased vehicles. Good problem.
2. More road/drainage repairs. Temporary problem.
3. Extra lane used as parking, post-widening. Crazy problem.
Very sound observations. Perhaps, the city’s officials are no longer stranger to this problems. Even the City Transport and Traffic Management Office have this in mind. But what is being done? Is Davao City just content to getting beat up by these woes?
The same netizen wrote some “what-ifs.”
First, why not do re-routing system. This, he said, can be done by revising public utility routes to decongest main roads.
At the moment, the congested main routes are too easy to point out. Re-routing public transport could ease out some of the hundreds of jeepneys plying the main thoroughfares. But that also means a little sacrifice on the part of commuters. This means, walking a distance to catch public transport, or walking extra hundred meters to get off pubic transport to work or transact businesses. If Filipinos are getting used to this situation when travelling overseas, they probably can also adapt to the changes. In other countries, the public transport, usually a train system or bus, is located in strategic areas so as not to cause further traffic congestion. If the system works with these countries and Filipinos travelling there, say Hongkong or Singapore, can adapt to it, why not apply the same here.
Second, reinforce the laws. It’s time to seriously apprehend violators for illegal parking as well as driving violations such as counterflowing.
Third, regulate. Let’s admit it, the vehicle population is growing. Dealerships are trying to make owning cars easier for consumers while banks are making car loans more accessible and convenient. How do we regulate this? There is a need to apply a no-nonsense law on “No private garage, no car ownership.” Roads in most villages and subdivisions are being used as parking areas of private car owners. With a law requiring private garages as a requisite to car ownership, congestion in villages with skinny roads may be addressed before the situation gets out of hand–that is, if it hasn’t been yet.
These suggested solutions are nothing new. They may have been lingering in the minds of our officials and traffic planners. The problem is, who will get these reforms going?
