RTA gets ready for school traffic mess

by NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) yesterday said it would be deploying teams near two of the biggest public schools in the city starting Monday to cushion the impact of the opening of classes on the worsening vehicular traffic problem in the city. Two public schools on Apolinar Velez Street alone are expecting nearly 20 thousand students.

Engr. Nonito Oclarit, RTA chief for operations, said the RTA teams would be fielded to the areas near the City Central School, and Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (Mogchs) to manage the traffic flow on Apolinar Velez Street.

Authorities are seeing the street in downtown Cagayan de Oro to become congested starting on Monday when thousands of students start attending classes. The street provides a link to Divisoria and CM Recto Avenue where an ongoing bridge construction project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) started causing traffic jams this month.

Celso Pagulon, City Central School principal, he is expecting over eight thousand students this school year on one hand. Mogchs officials, on the other hand, are expecting 10 thousand students. Oclarit said the RTA has a plan and it includes the deployment of teams of traffi c law enforcers near the schools.

The Cagayan de Oro City Police Offi ce (Cocpo) would also help in managing the traffi c fl ow, said city police chief for operations and planning Supt. Lemuel Gonda. Gonda said the Cocpo prepared a plan called   “Oplan Balik Eskuwela 2015” to maintain order, and to secure public and private schools starting on Monday.

He said city police director Senior Supt. Faro Antonio Olaguera has also ordered to the police to be vigilant against school gangs and crime groups that prey on students. Gonda said the Cocpo is also coordinating with the Cagayan de Oro Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac) to step up monitorings on the drug trade and substance abuse involving students.