P63-M MMDA-like traffic operations center eyed in Puerto Princesa

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By Celeste Anna Formoso (PNA)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan-- Residents in this city welcomed the proposal to establish a PHP63-million state-of-the-art traffic operations center (TOC) to improve road vehicle flow and increase overall public safety and security.

Councilor Rolando Amurao on Monday proposed for a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)-like TOC that would keep an eye on major transportation corridors here complete with real time closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV).

“I am for it because it will also help solve crimes in Puerto Princesa. We need that if we want to keep our residents safe from crimes being committed on the road, like those perpetrated by these riding in tandems,” businesswoman Grace Arambulo said onThursday.

She said her car got dented while it was park along Rizal Avenue, a major road artery in Puerto Princesa, and she did not know who to run after as no one saw what happened.

But with CCTVs, this problem can be addressed, she said.

She also wished for the number of tricycle franchise owners to decrease, especially in the national highways. “Maybe while they are waiting to set that up, they should already think about lessening the tricycles passing in our national highways daily, or maybe re-route them to ease the traffic,” she said.

Joseph Vargas, a checker in a construction supplies store, said it was about time that the city has a TOC that could help ease its growing traffic problem. “Grabe na katindi ang traffic natin. Minsan kahit maaga ka, talo ka pa rin sa sobrang traffic (Our traffic is now in worst condition. Even if you go to work early, you will still be late.),” Vargas told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) also Thursday.

Amurao on Monday said his resolution would be called the “Puerto Princesa City Traffic Operations Center.”

“I went to visit the MMDA’s Metro Base Traffic Operations, and I observed how it is operating, and I saw how effective it is monitoring traffic violations and even crimes being perpetrated,” he said.

After his visit, he wrote a letter to Mayor Lucilo Bayron to request him to include the fund for the proposed TOC in the 2018 Annual Budget of the city government.

“What we encountered as an issue about this was the specifications of the cameras, and we were told that including that and the labor to set it up, the fund that we would need would reach the said amount,” Amurao said.

He did not say what was Bayron’s reaction, or if he was told to first file a measure in the Sangguniang Panlungsod about it.

“What we want to happen here is, first, monitoring of traffic; monitoring of criminality – help solve riding in tandem cases with the CCTV; and discipline erring drivers and even passengers,” he said.

Studies will also be made on how internet speed in the city can help run the TOC. “That is one thing we need to study if,” and the MMDA engineers are willing to help, Amurao said.