Sagada traffic

HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Traffic rules  imposing penalties for violations like obstruction along national and provincial roads would now be in effect in this tourist town starting tomorrow as stipulated in an amended ordinance.

Parking on sections covering the Sagada -Dantay national road and other provincial routes within the jurisdiction of this town is penalized by P500 as imposed by the 2016 adopted municipal ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Bayan providing amendments to the 2010  transportation and traffic code  of this town.

 The amended traffic law made after consultation with police and drivers provides strict imposition of no parking policy along national and provincial roads. Though drivers can park on road from 8:31 at night and be out by 6 a.m. next day.

 Mayor James PootenJr  who signed said  ordinance had  been consulting Sagada Operators and Drivers Association (SODA) and  the association of innkeepers and entrepreneurs for  their cooperation in maintaining  a safe, orderly and environmentally friendly road system.    

 No parking during prohibited time is obstruction as cited in the ordinance’s  prohibited acts aside from  unloading of goods or other commercial in violation of  time schedules; parking on driveways leading to  hospital, clinics, government office, schools, private houses, sidewalks, curve sections and turning points; display of  goods on any portion  of the road except those allowed during  Saturday market, fiestas,  district meets, and other authorized events; stockpiling of aggregates on any section of the road beyond 48 hours; leaving a  vehicle  on any portion  of the road for more than 10 minutes  under the guise of waiting or  unloading of passengers; and other similar acts that hamper the flow of traffic.

 Parking on  narrow roads of the town had always been a problem especially during heavy arrival of  tourists with their vehicles during Lent, Christmas to New Year, town festival and long  vacation weekends.

This scenario is also experienced during Saturdays with the coming in en masse of  vehicles from other parts of the town and vendors from other places.

 Parking of cars on road sides have caused  heavy traffic jams with  cars barely moving and in some instances causing accidents to children and older women.

 While the Lent 2014 traffic management experience of designating traffic aide volunteers practically left the road  with no cars parked  for a period of five days, this  had not been successfully replicated  since then.

 A recent meeting of the municipal  tourism council (MTC) recommended to the municipal peace and order council  that barangay peacekeeping action teams (BPATS) act as traffic aides and be given stipend for assisting police in controlling and directing traffic.

 In said MTC meeting, chief of police Senior Insp. Domingo Gambican said traffic aides shall call the police in cases of issuing citation tickets to abusive drivers or removing their vehicle plate numbers.  

 The  boom of tourists in recent two years opened private lots for pay parking  including the spacious designated spaces at  the Mission Compound, Lardizabal’s residential  grounds at the Poblacion area,  three Daoangan parking lots, Mission Compound at Bangaan, and three other private parking lots leading towards the much visited  Sumaguing cave.  These however remain to be underutilized with car drivers preferring to comfortably park along the road.

Parking is also allowed at municipal  grounds for vehicles of government officials and employees when on official function. A fee of  P40  and P10 per hour thereafter  is collected from non-government personnel who happen to park on said municipal grounds.

 On loading and unloading of goods and passengers, rules were provided for  designated and established portions of the road.

 Municipal traffic rules strictly impose no loading and unloading merchandise on any part of the road  except on Sundays to Thursdays before 6 a.m.  from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  and from 7 to 10 pm.  Unloading of passengers isallowed on  whole stretch of the road parallel to the EGL Centrum at the Poblacion terminal area. Otherwise a penalty of  P500  is collected from drivers violating the rule.

 With the trial period ending after 10 days from Sept. 1 to 11, it is  expected that traffic shall flow smoothly with no obstructions along the road and adherence to traffic rules.

 Other prohibited acts are penalized with P500 fortoploading or letting passengers hang at the backside of the vehicle, excessive noise from any motorized vehicle, failure to obey traffic signs, and exceeding the prescribed speed limit at 10 kilometers per hour within residential areas.

 Other prohibited acts with the same penalty are driving at the same time texting, reverse driving for more than 150 meters,  driving without appropriate license,  overloading, excessive noise from  motorized vehicles,  driving motorcycle without helmet,  operating vehicles with  defective parts  and accessories, no franchise presented during  apprehension and  arrogant  driving/drivers.  

 Driving under the influence of liquor and reckless driving is penalized with P1,000 at first offense to P5,000 at third offense.

The municipal police force and traffic enforcers are authorized to confiscate the driver’s license, vehicle registration papers, vehicle plate. These are returned upon payment of corresponding fees stated in said ordinance.