Sagada heavy traffic eases with women aides manning streets

By Gina Dizon 

SAGADA, Montin Province -- The once traffic-heavy narrow streets of this town during tourist peak days turned smooth and free-flowing with women traffic aides manning streets since Holy Week. 

The long weekend starting April 9, four women traffic aides from Dagdag Poblacion directed vehicles with satisfactory precision.

The women aides hired by local government were stationed from Dagdag where most houses along the street are inns, souvenir shops and restaurants.  

A traffic aide said  major problem are drivers who go beyond the allowable 10 minute unloading time that “we have to repeatedly remind them until they leave the road.” 

Visitors with cars were reminded by police stationed at Kiltepan junction to drop off passengers in their inns or restaurants where they eat, then proceed to designated parking space at Tangeb softball grounds. 

Most inns and restaurants don’t have parking spaces. 

Cars were directed to parking spaces.

Local vans were available for hire by visitors who wished not to walk to caves and other attractions of the town.   

Last week’s traffic scheme and Lenten season replicated the same traffic method from last year’s Holy Week scheme with the observed outcome where cars were not parked along the national road from terminal to the much visited Sumaguing cave.  

Snags were reported by traffic aides and police officers who  encountered visiting “kailyans” who  got angry  when told to park their cars at  designated parking  spaces.

Other issues included hotel owners saying it was not their job to remind their guests not to park along the road. 

A municipal advisory during the recent Lenten season reminded hotel owners and other establishments to tell  their guests not to park along the road.

Previous years saw heavily-jammed streets including accidents that occurred along the road due to parked vehicles

At least 5,000 plus tourists visited Sagada the recent Lenten season.