BY ALEX ALAGON
- CTTMO: Pending Bus Project, scarce resources delay repair of traffic lights
THE PENDING bus project and scarce resources delayed repairs of the traffic lights, the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) revealed on Thursday.
CTTMO acting chief Atty. Eduardo Perez said only 32-33 of the 71 signalized intersections are operational.
Perez noted that in 2021, the office was instructed to identify areas that warrant traffic lights, and they submitted a list of more than 20 intersections.
However, considering the approved budget was only P30 million, they were forced to prioritize only five intersections—the Panacan-Malagamot, Eden Street in Ma-a, Bioessence in Sarrenas, Ecowest Drive in Ecoland, and Aquino St. Central Warehouse in Agdao.
“Because of the changes due to the pandemic, we cannot prioritize all the recommended intersections,” he said.
Perez said they had to deal with scarce resources, considering that one intersection alone, such as in Panacan, needed P12 million to be overhauled.
Additionally, the delayed High Priority Bus System also impacted traffic light repairs.
“Ang context ani is we are waiting for the Davao bus kay isa sa component is to repair this kay useless ang bus kung walay traffic signal,” he stressed.
To mitigate the traffic, CTTMO trained 30 additional enforcers last year, who completed their training last month, to replace the previous staff due to motorist complaints.
Presently, the office has a total of 600 personnel, 400 of whom are deployed in the field to form part of the Special Operations Team, cycle units, and the Anti-Jaywalking Team, among others.
The CTTMO requested an additional 150 enforcers last year to ensure road safety, especially for vulnerable pedestrians.
