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[av_heading heading=’‘PUNISH SLOW CONTRACTORS’ : Road construction should be 24/7 – Alim’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – How do you solve a problem like the slow construction of roads in this city?
The contractors should hire additional manpower and the work should be non-stop, suggested Councilor Joshua Alim.
“I have delivered a lot of speeches calling their attention but I was like a voice in the wilderness,” lamented the city councilor.
Alim also called for a review of the working days allotted to every road construction project.
Contractors failing to beat their deadlines should be slapped with sanctions, he said.
“But why can’t our congressman and mayor discipline these callous contractors? What are they afraid of?” asked Alim.
Most of the road construction projects in this city have national funding thus these are within Cong. Jerry Treñas’ sphere of concern, stressed Alim.
Nothing should hold back Treñas from disciplining the sluggish contractors but nothing has been heard from him, the councilor observed.
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, too, could certainly seek punishment on the contractors because the projects are within the city, he added.
The slow road constructions are causing inconvenience to the public, Alim lamented. He specifically pointed to the construction on Luna Street, La Paz district in front of West Visayas State University and Iloilo National High School.
“Ang madasig nga construction sa may Diversion Road sa atubangan SM City Iloilo,” said Alim.
Among the road construction projects observed taking too long to complete are on Rizal Street, City Proper in front of the University of Iloilo and on Delgado Street, both in the City Proper.
Raymundo Parcon, president of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association, said his driver-members were suffering.
“Travel time from Mandurriao district to the City Proper used to be 25 minutes. Now, it takes 40 to 50 minutes because of the road construction on the Diversion Road,” said Parcon.
Regarding the road construction on Delgado Street, he said: “Pila na ka bulan antos namon da.”
Parcon also complained that his association was not informed of the traffic rerouting being imposed due to ongoing road constructions.
“We should have been informed so we can tell our passengers, too,” he said.
Presently, Mandurriao jeepneys are barred from passing SM Department Store on Delgado Street. They are being rerouted to Ledesma Street.
Jaro Liko-Tagbak passenger jeepneys are also barred from taking Luna Street in La Paz. They are made to take Burgos Street.
“We are not against road and drainage constructions. But the contractors should have completed these before the onset of the rainy season. They had the time to do this when there was still El Niño a few months ago but they didn’t,” said Parcon.
The seemingly never-ending rehabilitation of roads across the city is taking a toll on the drivers’ daily income, he lamented.
The traffic congestion brought about by the repairs dramatically reduced the drivers’ number of trips. The lesser number of trips means lesser income for drivers.
“We used to make 10 trips a day. Now, it’s down to seven or even five trips due to the traffic congestion,” Parcon told Panay News.
In a previous interview, City District Engineer Rodney Gustilo said the rehabilitation of Delgado Street (from Amigo Terrace Hotel to SM Department Store) was a continuation of the staggered road repair of the long street that started last year.
Delgado Street was already showing signs of raveling or scaling, Gustilo explained./PN
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