Baguio City sets Oplan kaluluwa traffic plan 2019

By Julie G. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY – Directional street signs are in place for cemetery goers and motorists on the annual all souls’ day trek to memorial parks this Nov. 1.

This was assured by Baguio City Police Office Traffic Management Bureau (BCPO-TMB) head Oliver Panabang during the OPLAN kaluluwa coordination meeting with concerned agencies and barangay officials last week at city hall.

A traffic advisory states that one-way roads on Nov. 1 from 5AM up to 12 MN or until the activity is over, are Queen of Peace, coming from Dominican- Quirino Highway (Naguilian road) intersection towards the central business district (CBD); San Roque street from Asin road to Quirino highway-Dominican road intersection; First road Quezon Hill from Quirino highway junction until Ponce street, going up only; and Sepic road from Ferguson junction to Buhagan rd.junction.

As to the advisory, left turn at Hamada street is not allowed for vehicles coming from Queen of Peace towards Quirino highway. Vehicles from Hamada street may U-turn at Ferguson street area.

There shall be no parking at the whole stretch of Quirino Highway, from Buhagan road-Quirino highway intersection up to San Carlos heights junction; the whole stretch of Sofia de Veyra and Ponce streets; the whole of Queen of Peace/Palma-Urbano and Queen of Apostles; infront and inside the Baguio Cemetery, except for emergency and reactionary vehicles.

Recommended parking areas are; Cooyesan Plaza pay parking area; Inside Shangrila Subdivision, inside the Recoletos compound; and inside Baguio Memorial Park end portion along vacant lot, while recommended U-turn areas are: area before the entrance of Bermuda subdivision below the cemetery; wide portion along Quirino highway before going down Asin road, or Police station 1.

 Panabang emphasized that U-turns, loading and unloading are not allowed in front of the cemetery.

There shall be no loading/unloading at the following areas: road space before 2nd road Quezon Hill, road space before Dominican, infront of Recoletos seminary, road space after entrance of BMC, road space before the first road San Carlos heights; and road space before entrance of Shangrila subdivision.

Only differently-abled and elderly are allowed to utilize the loading and unloading area near the entrance, but it shall be a pick/drop and go station only, there shall be no waiting, Panabang said.

Private vehicles going to CBD, except bus and trucks, are re-routed to Dominican road, enter Queen of Peace or Queen of Apostles to destination. Motorists from the CBD may pass through Quirino Highway, load or unload passengers at the cemetery but make a U-turn at first or second road, San Carlos heights to destination.

Taxi cabs may unload in front of the Recoletos seminary or space after BMC entrance and take San Luis/San Roque road as exit or follow regular route to CBD.

Trucks and buses are banned from using Quirino highway from the Buhagan junction until Irisan-circumferential road junction and are encouraged to utilize Marcos highway or Lamtang-Longlong Tam-awan road to destination.

Public Utility Vehicles from Irisan, San Carlos heights, NPC and Quezon Hill may go back to CBD through the regular route. Passengers from CBD to the cemetery may be unloaded along the junction of first road, San Carlos heights.

San Luis, San Roque, Asin, Nangalisan and other PUJs using Asin road toward CBD could use San Roque road to Quirino highway, back to the terminal. From the CBD, PUJs could unload passengers at the back of Police Station 1, infront of Recoletos seminary.

Dominican PUJs going to CBD may take the same route, or use Queen of Peace or Queen of Apostles, while unloading of passengers going to the cemetery is at the road space before the junction of Quirino Highway-Dominican intersection.

Quezon hill PUJs going to CBD would use Fairview road to Ferguson towards Buhagan rd, or take second road towards Qurino highway to Buhagan road, or turn left towards Dominican to Queen of Peace/Queen of Apostles road while unloading of cemetery-bound passengers shall be at the road space before the junction of Quezon Hill.

Guisad PUJs using Ferguson road going to CBD shall take Sepic road to Buhagan road.

Motorists from the lowlands/La Union bound to Baguio take the circumferential road to Dominican road, Queen of Peace or Queen of Apostles road to CBD or Lamtang-Longlong Tam-awan road to CBD or La Trinidad, Benguet.

The police force together with volunteers and barangay officials of affected streets in Fort del Pilar, Palma-Urbano, Kias, Victoria Village, Quezon Hill Proper, San Roque, San Luis, City Camp Proper, City Camp Central, Lower Rock Quarry, Lourdes Subdivision extension, Lourdes Proper, Lower Lourdes and Irisan barangays, agreed to implement traffic rules and regulations in their respective areas of responsibilities.

Cemeteries and memorial sites, transportation terminals within the city shall be properly manned, as with road intersections, ingress and exit points, Panabang assured.