ILOILO – Drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and commuters are doubtful that a carousel traffic scheme introduced in the vicinity of the Ungka flyover can indeed ease traffic congestion.
Iloilo City’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) and the local government unit of Pavia started implemented the traffic scheme yesterday, Dec. 8, in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia and Barangay Ungka, Jaro district.
Francis Grado of Cabatuan, Iloilo, told Panay News his sitting-in-traffic time did not change.
“Mabudlay gihapon. Almost mga 15 to 20 minutes man gihapon ang akon hulat kaina sa sulod sang dyep. Kaawat gid kay kon may trabaho ka kag kadtoan. Kon may transaction kaw ma-late kaw gid,” Grado lamented.
Grado observed that the traffic congestion is getting worse this holiday season. The volume vehicles and commuters is increasing.
He blamed the unusable Ungka flyover, too.
“Tungod sang flyover nagaka-traffic. Daad masolbar na ang traffic,” he added.
The P680-million newly-constructed Ungka flyover was closed to traffic just two weeks after it opened on Sept. 5 due to vertical displacement. It has yet to be repaired.
PUV driver Rico Samar also noticed no improvement in the flow of traffic despite the the introduction of the carousel traffic scheme.
Vehicles are moving even slower now, he said.
“Daw wala man sang pagbag-o. Daw nag-traffic pa gani biskan holiday. Ano pa gid ayhan bwas (Friday) nga may opisina kag klase,” said Samar.
For his part, taxi driver Dodong Bayloces saw no quick fix in sight.
“Maskin ano pa ang style nila dira kay kadamu sang salakyan, traffic gid gihapon. Iban nga motor naga-agi na lang gani sa sidewalk,” he said.
Bayloces complained of being stuck in traffic for about an hour, reducing the number of trips he makes in a day.
“Ang mga pasahero gina-ugtom na lang ila kaakig. Panawagan tani sa gobyerno, total ari na gid lang ni ang flyover kag indi ta man masiling nga magabot ta ini, solusyonan na lang para maagyan kay tama gid ka traffic,” he said.
Bayloces thinks that only a functioning flyover is the answer.
Modernized jeepney driver Leo Menel, who takes the Jaro CPU-Ungka route, shared his objection to the carousel traffic scheme.
“Tan-awa bala subong nga waay klase kag opisina ma-traffic gihapon biskan naghimu sila sang bag-o nga scheme. Bwas kay may klase mas malawig pa gid na ya ang traffic,” said Menel.
Starting yesterday, the PSTMO closed the C1 intersection.
According to PSTMO head Jeck Conlu, the scheme will allow for a continuous flow of traffic from Iloilo City going to Pavia and vice versa.
“Ang intersection siraduhan. Wala sang ma-cross so that ang flow sang traffic continuous na. Kon halin ka sa syudad deretso sa Pavia, dere-deretso. Kon halin ka naman sa Pavia pakadto syudad, deretso man,” said Conlu.
He said those coming from Barangay Tacas, Jaro going to Mandurriao via the C1 road will take a right turn upon reaching the intersection and will join the flow of traffic going towards Pavia. Then, they take a U-turn at the slot located in front of GT Mall and head to the direction going to Iloilo City and take another right turn back at the C1 road intersection going to Mandurriao district.
For vehicles from Mandurriao district going to Tacas, Jaro, drivers should make a right turn at the intersection to join the traffic flow headed to Iloilo City, then make a U-turn in front of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s Ungka prison facility to join the traffic that is headed towards Pavia. Upon reaching the C1 intersection again, they should take a right turn towards Tacas, Jaro.
PSTMO will be observing the traffic scheme’s effects and make the necessary adjustments as needed.
Conlu also said a truck ban during rush hours will be enforced by the PSTMO and Pavia.
The daily truck ban is from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m./PN