BACOLOD City — The city government is considering implementing a full-time truck ban along the Circumferential Road near the Bacolod City Government Center to alleviate traffic congestion.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Transportation and Traffic, plans to introduce a measure that would reroute all trucks from this busy thoroughfare.
On November 13, the city council approved a resolution directing the Bacolod Traffic and Transportation Management Department (BTTMD) to examine the feasibility of mandating large vehicles, including trucks and heavy equipment, to use the new Bacolod-Negros Economic Highway (Banoceh) exclusively.
The resolution also proposes barring such vehicles from the Circumferential Road altogether.
Espino explained that with the recent opening of Banoceh, designed to ease urban traffic, this new route offers a viable alternative for heavy vehicles.
The Circumferential Road section near Barangay Villamonte is notorious for congestion, particularly during peak hours.
Currently, Bacolod enforces a limited truck ban from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, but officials believe a full-time ban could further reduce traffic woes in the area./PN
