By Egay Uy
TRAFFIC along JR Borja Bridge from Burgos Street to Vamenta Blvd. in Carmen seems to be a never-ending stretch of non-moving vehicles. The reason is obvious – there is no way that right-turning vehicles can freely move because the bridge has only one lane.
If the vehicle at the tip of the queue facing Vamenta wants to go straight towards COC-Phinma, the entire queue of motor vehicles, even if they are all going right, have to wait for the first vehicle to move once the traffic light turns green. Right turning vehicles are literally at the mercy of the vehicle facing Vamenta Blvd..
I gave instructions years ago to make this specific portion of the bridge to be “right-turn only” to keep the vehicles flowing at all times regardless of the traffic light queue. I know what I’m talking about because I pass that bridge daily. Somehow the suggestion then did not merit the attention of supposed decision-makers at the traffic office. The main reason for making the vehicle flow in the bridge “right-turn only” is to avoid queuing of vehicles from Burgos to Vamenta.
If this were done, vehicles going to the vicinity of Carmen market from the eastern side of the city will have to take Ysalina Bridge near the city hall, while vehicles that go towards the direction of Liceo de Cagayan University can use JR Borja bridge. With the scheme, I don’t see any reason why vehicles have to queue longer at JR Borja Bridge from Burgos to Vamenta.
With the open-mindedness of RTA’s acting department head, Zali Borlagata, and his core team of able leaders, I look forward that this scheme will be subjected to further study.
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Thanks to Mr. Ferdinand C. Flores, Regional Public Information Officer of the LTO, for the rejoinder to my earlier column on the suspension of operation of so many private emission testing centers which led to the inconvenience and suffering of motor vehicle owners.
As I mentioned in a subsequent column, I stood corrected that it was not the LTO that caused the suspension but the DOTR. However, the point remains that something ought to be done to alleviate the suffering of motor vehicle owners who have to submit their units for smoke-belching tests before they could renew their registration at the LTO.
I expect the revenue collection of the LTO, because of penalties and surcharges, would skyrocket because of delayed renewal of registration. This is one area where the LTO could help motorists. For example, surcharges and penalties are waived for late registration renewal within one quarter from the expiration of the current registration.
Another approach would probably be waiving the smoke emission tests upon registration in the meantime that PETC’s licenses to operate are under suspension. Or, renew registrations on the condition that the smoke belching test results are submitted to the LTO within three months after the re-operation of the suspended PETCs. There simply are so many ways to skin a cat, so to speak.
These may need legislation but to the motorists, it means this government cares for us, too.
(Egay Uy is a lawyer. He chairs the City’s Regulatory and Complaint Board, co-chairs with the city mayor the City Price Coordinating Council, and chairs the city’s Joint Inspection Team. He retired as a vice president of Cepalco.)
