A city that can’t keep up

Dave Achondo

CAGAYAN de Oro is growing too fast, and it cannot cope with the massive developments that are taking place.

You can see it clearly when you look at the worsening traffic situation, the unbelievable and inconsiderate vendors who add to the traffic jams near public markets because they set up tents on the roads, the irrational and incompetent barangays that allows them to continue, and of course, the hustling (read: paugatay) public vehicle drivers and passengers who do not follow rules.

Why can’t the latter use the “yellow boxes”? It’s because the “boxes” have been occupied by these vendors, and there’s no place to drop and pick-up passengers properly. And so, any place will suffice at the expense of others.

All these are a result of the government’s poor management, and the lack of discipline on the people’s part.

This city is no doubt growing and becoming a major player in the Philippines in terms of businesses. It offers opportunities for major players in different industries to explore the possibilities here. But the development taking place is just way to fast for the city to cope with. This city is in need of major change.

One way that I see is really addressing the problem on traffic. The people who run this city should stop bickering among themselves, and start planning and implementing immediately.

This city could use more traffic lights–they should fix the damaged ones as soon as possible. The enforcers should really implement traffic rules properly, and fine pedestrians who cross streets just about anywhere, and roads should be free from vendors and illegal parking, particularly during rush hours–especially roads leading in and out of this city’s most congested areas like Cogon.

The Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) should also implement a window hour for trucks to operate such as for six-wheelers. These trucks should only be allowed to move their products during certain hours–perhaps only at night when there is less vehicles on the roads. Based on my observation, the highway becomes hellish whenever a truck dies in the middle of the road or figures in an accident during rush hours.

It would also greatly benefit this city if the RTA would ensure that traffic aides work in shifts, that the road bottlenecks would not be left unmanned even at night. When there is no traffic aide in sight, some drivers tend to go ballistic and break the rules until there is a vehicular stalemate.

By solving the traffic problems, the healthier and more productive this city will become, and the more attractive it will be to investors.