IN the span of less than a month, two events boosted the enthusiasm of the Ilonggo community. Foremost, the groundbreaking ceremony of the 164-megawatt coal-fired power plant, which will surely bring a wave of development not only to Iloilo City, but also to the province and the rest of Panay as cheaper and reliable power supply will be available. There was also the success of hosting the national convention of tourism officers and the Dinagyang having been voted for three straight years as the best tourism event in the country.

However, Iloilo’s development is somewhat mired in grand illusions and mockery. Why is there always a need to show off to the rest of the country (and even the world) that Iloilo has indeed evolved into a major urban center?!? Sure, taller and bigger infrastructures have mushroomed left and right, but that is to be expected with any other highly urbanized city. On hindsight though, there are infrastructures that should not have been built in the first place. Remember the P480-million Infante Flyover?

On a more intriguing note, my blood boils at the continuous nonsense traffic experimentations. No less than the so-called “Traffic Czar” has the audacity to insist that a solution exists in these splendid trial-and-error experiments.

At the very least, trial-and-error experiments are not the first step in resolving the irritating traffic situation in the city. At the very most, it is illogical to put an entire community at stake and turn everyone into guinea pigs just to see how the city streets and highways could be decongested.

To begin with, there must be a need to grasp the situation first prior to leaping into nonsensical implementations of new traffic regulations. For instance, maybe there is a need to understand that when the streets and major roads were built, the community planners of god-knows-what-era never really made provisions for the increasing number of people and vehicles that will make use and share a public space in the future. Just look at the downtown area, specifically Iznart and J.M. Basa streets. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there were no provisions whatsoever as the streets are too narrow.

On another perspective though, both Iznart and J.M. Basa were probably designed as pedestrian streets rather than vehicle-driven streets. That’s why vehicles, either parking on the side or driving down the street, are causing major bottlenecks in almost all the intersections.

Let’s also take into consideration how the city’s traffic ordinance also prohibits two-wheeled rides such as bicycles or motorcycles or three-wheeled rides such as trisikads or tricycles. But while bicycles are a healthier alternative or triskikads and tricycles are more affordable to the masa, there is sustainability as there are no specific lanes designed for it, unlike in other countries.

The so-called “Traffic Czar” is so brilliant in his splendid trial-and-error experiments that his intentions for lawfulness metamorphosed into lawlessness. He cannot expect the general public to obey “the law” when it is mired in inconsistency.

Take for instance the frequent rerouting of both city loop and provincial jeeps that ply the city streets and highways. Take for instance the loading and unloading areas. Take for instance the steel railings along Diversion Road, which was supposed to serve as directional railings. Where is the veracity, if not consistency, in implementing a tougher and more efficient traffic regulation when it is subjected to revisions every other week or so?

It is an imperative to put an end to these nonsensical experimentations. It only stirs confusion and can even trigger temperament among the general public.

More than that, there is a dire need to asses, if not reassess, the basic tenets of traffic planning and management.

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By the way, didn’t the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JIPA) organize a training seminar on traffic management last September?

Wasn’t there also a feasibility study last year to asses the traffic situation in the city? What happened to it? Maybe more efficient regulations can be drawn from it instead of the continuous hazard brought by the experimentations.

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Moreover, why can’t the Traffic Management and Engineering Unit (TMEU) maximize the use of the existing traffic lights installed in different areas of the city? It would be so simple to take advantage of the traffic lights instead of wasting taxpayer’s money in paying the salary of traffic enforcers who stand around or sleep while on duty.

One Response to “Traffic guinea pigs”

• 1
  Rex
  October 9th, 2008 15:56

  They money used for the flyover could have been used to construct the Iloilo River boulevard or jumpstart the Circumferential Road. Those would have immense impacts to traffic compared to the almost-useless-flyover. Or we could have used it to construct the City Hall. May sukli pa.

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