IN ORDER to ease traffic congestion along the central business district, two jeepney operators and drivers association is now seeking the help of Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan.
In separate letters forwarded to Domogan by Melchor Bengao, president of the Pacdal-General Luna Operators and Drivers Association (Pagoda) and Celidenio Biswayan, president of Pacdal Park Circle Operators and Drivers Association (PPCODA), they said the main cause of traffic congestion within the premises is caused by illegal practices of other jeepney lines plying the route of Magsaysay road to Gen. Luna road.
The letters stated the continued loading of passengers by the Maria Basa Jeepneys in front of Metro Bank, Magsaysay, General Luna road corner unavoidably hampers the flow of traffic going towards Magsaysay and Bonifacio roads and also affects those going upward Gen. Luna.
Worse, they said, some Maria Basa public utility jeepneys are using the Gen. Luna road just opposite Tiongsan Bazaar as their loading area, unmindful of vehicles heading upward Gen. Luna consequently creating a monstrous traffic jam.
It could be observed that these are being committed at around 5:00 p.m. onwards when there are no police officers who could make apprehensions, the association presidents stated.
Another problem according to them is that the public utility jeepneys of the Tuding Express and Tuding-Mangga routes which have made the triangle area at the Bayanihan-General Luna Barangay Hall their loading and unloading area and U-tern area instead of proceeding down Gen. Luna towards Magsaysay road then to Bonifacio road.
Such practice, they added, inevitably congest traffic not only to vehicles heading upward from lower Gen. Luna heading towards Mabini street and upper Gen. Luna but also those heading downward Gen. Luna towards Magsaysay road.
Strong political will is imperative to address the above problems to ensure and maintain smooth flow of traffic particularly along General Luna Road which caters to a big volume of vehicles going to big school universities and hospitals, they stressed.—larry madarang
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