ILOILO City – Traffic management schemes that have been undertaken to ease the congestion at the Ungka flyover area in Barangay Ungka, Jaro district and Barangay Ungka II, Pavia, Iloilo have been mutually agreed by the city government of Iloilo and the municipal government of Pavia, stressed the city’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO).
It is thus “so unfair” to accuse the city government of unilaterally making decisions regarding the traffic problem in the area, said PSTMO head Jeck Conlu.
“Ang amon coordination sa Pavia LGU (local government unit) daw mag-asawa. Executive and executive thru the traffic management office,” Conlu told Panay News.
Recently, Pavia Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member Jose Maria “Pyt” Trimañez who chairs the municipal council’s committee on transportation, complained about the extended U-turn scheme thereat.
“Ang extended nga U-turn halin sa Corni Intersection asta sa C1 Road, ang nag propose sini nga scheme wala man diri naga-agi kag wala man diri naga istar. Kami nga mga taga Pavia kag taga Central Towns naga antos sang traffic kung peak hours,” he posted on Facebook.
Conlu defended the U-turn. Without it and just letting vehicles from the city go straight to Pavia, he said, would result to the traffic queue stretching back to Barangay Sambag, Jaro like what previously happened.
“Indi kami pwede maghulag na wala ang coordination sa Pavia,” he stressed. “I’ve been constantly coordinating with the Pavia executive branch. Kag before kami mag-implement, naga-meeting kami with the Pavia traffic management office,” said Conlu.
The PSTMO, he added, would again sit down with the Pavia traffic management body and the transport sector next week to assess the extended U-turn scheme and make adjustments if necessary.
“Three years na nga naga-ulan-painit kami dira. Halos every day for the past three years routine ko na ang ina na area, hambalon pa kami nga indi kami taga-Pavia kag wala kami naga-agi dira. So unfair,” Conlu lamented.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Saturday, Feb. 4, Mayor Jerry Treñas emphasized that the city’s traffic aides were only assisting in the management of the traffic along the jurisdiction of the city at the Ungka flyover.
“Our personnel have no jurisdiction after the boundaries of the city. Please take note that this is called the Pavia flyover and not the Iloilo City flyover for nothing. I feel sad when people blame the personnel of the city for something that is not of their own doing or responsibility. It is so unfair,” according to Treñas.
He added the city is willing to leave the traffic management of the area to the municipality of Pavia.
“If for any reason the public feels that our assistance is not needed, I am calling off the same and leave traffic management to the municipality of Pavia. Actually, we need the services of the traffic aides in the city more. I will finalize the decision by Monday afternoon,” said Treñas./PN
