INC anniversary CITOM: Ignored parking plan led to gridlock

CEBU, Philippines - The huge number of public utility vehicles (PUVs) utilized and the failure to follow the parking plan is believed to be the main cause of hours of traffic congestion during the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) anniversary evangelical mission last Friday.

“Wala namo na-anticipate the sheer number of PUVs na gi-utilize nila. Wala ni-cooperate ang cars and PUVs sa agreed parking areas. They parked instead sa coastal road para duol, causing congestion sa tunnel and viaduct. Others also parked over Mambaling trunk road. That’s why traffic kaayo going south, (We weren’t able to anticipate the sheer number of PUVs utilized. Vehicle owners also did not cooperate on the agreed parking areas and parked on the coastal road instead because it’s nearer. This caused congestion in the tunnel and viaduct…)” City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) executive director Atty. Rafael Christopher Yap told The Freeman.

The parking areas agreed upon for the 99th founding anniversary of INC was at the Sugbo building, Compania Maritima, the road leading to Bigfoot, as well as the back portion of the templete previously used during San Pedro Calungsod’s thanksgiving mass last November 2012.

“Not well utilized ang templete parking kay muddy. Hadlok ang mga drivers ma stuck-up didto. (The template parking was not well utilized because it was muddy and the drivers were afraid that they would get stuck there),” Yap said.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 issued 245 special permits for PUVs with 130 for buses and 115 for jeepneys.

But Yap emphasized that despite the unexpected slow traffic flow that left commuters stranded beyond the site at South Road Properties (SRP), CITOM had the situation “under control.”

“Let me stress that at all times under control ra tanan. That’s why traffic was moving, albeit slowly, but not at standstill,” he said, adding that they deployed Kaohsiung buses to ferry passengers.

Nevertheless, he admitted that for another huge activity in the city, they will make it a point to coordinate with LTFRB “to leave some for the rest of the city.”

But Yap said this does not mean CITOM discourages utilization of PUVs for events gathering big crowds from outside the city.

“No (discourage PUVs), in fact I’d encourage it. It’s the most efficient way of moving a large number of people. The key with PUVs has always been disseminating information for drop off, pick up and parking areas,” he said.

Yesterday, Mayor Michael Rama said he will meet with CITOM once he comes back from Japan to be briefed as to what transpired and how commuters ended up getting stuck in traffic.

The same area was earlier used by the Catholic Church during the National Thanksgiving Mass for the canonization of the first Visayan Martyr, San Pedro Calungsod.  —(FREEMAN)