Trade body to malls: Help manage traffic during holidays

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent . 

THE city council’s committee on trade, commerce and industry hasasked mall executives in the city to help as the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) prepares to manage the traffic flow with the anticipated influxof vehicles from other places during the holidays.

The committee’s chairman, Councilor George Goking, said local officials have started discussing the matter with mall managers in an effort to prevent monstrous traffic jams.

Goking asked the executives to sit down with RTA, Land Transportation Office and police officials so they could agree on specific measures to take.

The public, too, has to cooperate, he said.

“Gihangyo sab nato ang mga pumapalit nga palit kamo sayo og dili sa rush hours aron makuhaan atong problema sa traffic condition sa siyudad. The traffic condition worsens during holidays in almost all cities in the country,” he said.

Goking pointed out that consumers, whose activity account for around 70 percent of the Philippine economy, typically flock to shopping malls to buy gifts during the holiday season, resulting in heavy vehicular traffic.

Goking said the vehicular traffic situation in the city is already bad and it could worsen with the anticipated influx of vehicles from other cities and provinces.

He said areas of concern are CM Recto Ave., Don Apolinar Velez Street, Corrales Street, Osmena Street and roads near the public markets.

LTO-10 director Rogelio Poliquit said the LTO would help in enforcing traffic rules and regulations.

“Motabang kita sa angay tabangan diha sa kalsada para paspas ang ilang pagbiyahe apan atong sikupon kadtong mga badlungon,” he said.

He said the LTO would field its personnel during rush hours especially during the holidays.