LIMITING the entries of public utility jeepneys to the city proper area through a one-month traffic experimentation will hit two birds with one stone. First, it will decongest traffic in our narrow streets. Second, it will improve air quality in the city and contribute to efforts at averting global warming.

Traffic congestion has been one of the major obstacles to Iloilo City’s growth. City streets are narrow and they could not just accommodate the increasing number of vehicles that we have. If all the 49,408 registered vehicles (as per record of the Land Transportation Office in 2005) are put together bumper-to-bumper, the city’s 145 kilometers of roads are just enough for them. But if we include vehicles from neighboring towns, then there’s no more room.

The one-month experiment – which will bar public utility vehicles from the towns of Oton, Leganes, Santa Barbara and San Miguel from plying major streets in the city from October 1 to 31 – may receive the ire of the riding public who found the old system convenient for them. But it was not too long ago when the Perimeter Boundary Ordinance (PBO) received the curse of everyone when it prevented provincial jeepneys other than those from Oton, Leganes, Santa Barbara and San Miguel from entering the city. Yet, the riding public have seen its benefits and welcomed it belatedly.

The benefits that the PBO brought to the city are both seen and unseen. We have seen the decongestion of our roads, although not to a really desirable point. There are still traffic jams in the city but not as worse than before. Prior to the PBO, when 970 provincial jeepneys enter the city everyday, it would take more than an hour to travel from the City Hall to SM City during rush hours. These days, 30 minutes of travel to and from the same points may mean a vehicle broke down or these are a vehicular accident, stalling traffic at one street corner.

The unseen benefit of limiting the entries of vehicles to the city is on air quality. Studies conducted by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office showed that the implementation of the PBO has reduced carbon dioxide emissions in Iloilo City by 24.418 kilograms per day, and has resulted to fuel savings of 9,225 liters per day. Less carbon dioxide emissions means an improvement in our air quality.

Such findings mean a lot for Iloilo City, one of the nine areas in the Philippines that were identified as air quality hotspots. This means the threat of air pollution to city residents is already at a very critical level. This is the reason why the Iloilo City government has been working hard to improvement our air quality.

Of late, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas organized the task force on Fuel and Energy Conservation by issuing Executive Order , outlined the city’s local climate agenda, and its energy reduction target set by at least 10 percent. Through an executive order, the mayor required all line departments of the city to adopt guidelines on vehicle maintenance, an accountability system for fuel and energy conservation, and lamp retrofitting and fuel switching in public buildings and vehicles.

Worth highlighting is the lamp retrofitting program of the city. This means conversion of incandescent and fluorescent streetlights to energy-saving high pressure sodium lamps. As of December 31, 2005, the city was able to install 1,060 high pressure sodium lamps in 56 locations. These lamps saved for the city 6,360 kilowatt per hour per day, and in turn reduced power generation. In generating electricity, power plans emit carbon dioxide. By reducing the rate of power generation, carbon dioxide emission is also reduced. Through this program, 3,777 kilograms of carbon dioxide have been prevented every day. It even cut the city electricity bills by PhP 2 million, 57% of which comes from the retrofitting initiative.

Back to the one-month traffic experiment, the riding public should give it a chance to prove its worth. It may just be a small step at decongesting traffic but it’s a giant leap at improving our air quality and contribute to efforts at averting global warming.

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