A spate of ongoing road and building construction work in Davao City is believed by Dabawenyos to be the chief culprit that worsened traffic, a survey conducted by the University of Mindanao-based Institute of Popular Opinion revealed on Monday.
But the same survey said that public behavior towards the cause of traffic showed that majority thought “it was normal for a booming city.”
“In effect, Dabawenyos are saying the situation is similar to birth pains,” Prof. Adrian Tamayo, head of the IPO told the Kapehan sa Dabaw.
The IPO survey was conducted among 1,200 randomly selected Dabawenyos during the period October 11-27, using a 5% margin of error and 95% confidence level to determine people’s opinion on the traffic situation.
The survey showed that 81% of the respondents considered construction work, both road and building construction, as having worsened traffic.
Tamayo said the public was split 50-50 on whether or not public convenience was considered related to the constructions, with half saying the infra work was for their use and that they could bear with the inconvenience.
The survey found out that eight in 10 Dabawenyos consider the construction sprouting around the City to contribute to worsening traffic. This suggests that the infrastructure developments happening around, though indicative of growth seem like more than the ability of the city to assimilate. In effect, it affected road use and worsen the traffic situation. Along this note, the Dabawenyos were asked on how they perceive the implementation of the projects relating to their convenience and security.
According to Tamayo the public is divided on this impression: 50% of Dabawenyos believe that the public’s convenience is considered related to the constructions happening around, while the other half believed it to be otherwise. This means that half of Dabawenyos deemed that the infrastructures are for their use, and that their inconvenience is one thing that they can personally absorb.
Data obtained from IPO, the account of public security & safety relating to implementation of the project, a little higher than half of the Dabawenyos revealed that the contractors consider the security and safety of the public (58%), while only 9% believed that the contractors put aside the security of the public.
Tamayo added that more than half are impressed with the coordination between the City Government and the private contractors; a manifest of public trust that the government is on top of the situation amidst increasing infrastructure growth.
Tamayo said that the given impressions on how do the public relate to the traffic situation, nine in 10 Dabawenyos accept the fact that this is a normal occurrence of a growing City; thus eight in 10 Dabawenyos need to do necessary sacrifice. It was even noted that the public consider that ballooning number of vehicles and the behavior of the riding public as the cause of the traffic and not the constructions sprouting around (75%).
