BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) proposed to the local government a 4-pronged approach to help ease the worsening traffic congestions in the different parts of the city, especially during weekends and holidays, which had been time and again, criticized by locals and visitors alike.
BCPO City Director Senior Superintendent Ramil L. Saculles said one of the proposed interventions is the immediately hiring of additional police auxiliary members to be deployed in the various traffic-prone areas around the city to smoothen traffic flow, especially when motor vehicles of residents and visitors, start to flock to certain places where people converge.
He added that the local police auxiliary will be provided with adequate trainings on traffic management in various areas in the city to augment members of the Traffic Management Branch in facilitating the smooth flow of traffic around the city.
On the other hand, the police officer also proposed to the City Council to consider increasing the outdated fines being collected from violators of traffic rules and regulations to conform with the standard fines being imposed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to instill discipline among motorists not to park in no parking areas and obstruct the smooth flow of traffic not only in major roads but also in the different barangays.
According to him, the local government must calibrate the traffic lights in identified intersections in the city to conform with the continuous volume of traffic in said intersections and avoid prolonged convergence of vehicles that worsen traffic jams.
He emphasized addressing the city’s worsening traffic problem is one of the major thrusts of the local police force but efforts to do so must be done with the support of the local government and concerned government agencies to achieve a better traffic flow around the city even during weekends and special holidays.
Saculles solicited the inputs of stakeholders on how to effectively and efficiently handle the traffic problem created by the increasing volume of vehicles in the city so that there will be a consolidated efforts among the sectors to work together for the possible adoption of short, medium and long-term solutions to the city’s traffic concerns.
He urged motorists to strictly abide with traffic rules and regulations enforced by police officers and members of the police auxiliary to help reduce traffic jams.
The BCPO official admitted the rapid increase in the number of motor vehicles plying the city’s streets is inevitable in a highly urbanized city and one of the prime tourist destinations in the country thus the government and the private sector must continue exploring appropriate solutions to minimize traffic around the city in the future.
He also suggested to the local government to pursue the put up of the appropriate multi-level parking structures in strategic areas around the city to cater to the increasing demand for parking, especially when visitors flock to the city during weekends and special holidays. /By Dexter A. See
