BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance creating the Baguio City Parking, Traffic and Transportation Management Office (BCPATTMO) and appropriating funds for the said purpose.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Benny Bomogao states the BCPATTMO shall be the sole parking and traffic management authority vested with the powers to formulate, coordinate and monitor polices, standards and programs relating to parking and traffic management, to rationalize the existing transport operations and to administer and implement all parking services, traffic enforcement operations, traffic planning, traffic facilities and management, traffic education programs in the city.
The BCPATTMO shall supervise, manage, control and coordinate all government instrumentalities whose functions are related to the implementation and enforcement of all city parking, traffic laws and ordinances, rules and regulations.
The ordinance stipulates the traffic and transportation management division under the City Engineering Office shall be dissolved and its functions and personnel shall also be dissolved with the creation of the BCPATTMO.
Under the proposed ordinance, the local government shall appropriate the required funds for the eventual implementation of the provisions of the measure.
The ordinance notes the continuous urban growth of the city also yields increase in population and transportation vehicles, both public and private, plying the roads.
According to the proposal, there is a need to enhance the city’s parking, traffic and transport management to effectively and efficiently implement all existing laws, especially those of the Land Transportation Law of the Philippines as enshrined under the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 4136.
Furthermore, the ordinance claims that a well-developed city transport and traffic management will not only bring comfort and convenience to the general public but also offer greater advantage to the constituents’ safety and security which rebound to the city’s crucial maintenance of peace and order.
The ordinance underscores the need to create an office dedicated to the formulation, planning, coordination and monitoring of policies, standards and programs relating to parking, traffic and transport management, to rationalize the existing traffic system and to administer and implement all parking, traffic enforcement, traffic planning, traffic facilities management and traffic education programs geared towards contributing in the efforts to effectively and efficiently address the worsening traffic woes in the different parts of the city.
The traffic congestions in the different parts of the city is aggravated by the significant increase in the number of vehicles plying the different roads aside from the fact that the different roads in the city are too narrow to accommodate the unabated increase in the number of vehicles owned by residents and tourists alike which frequently roam around the city.
Earlier, the local government created the traffic and transportation management office under the City Engineering Office to oversee its programs, projects and activities on addressing traffic jams around the city.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by Armando M. bolislis