Dads criticize Legarda widening project
THE CITY Council approved a resolution inviting officials of the Department of Public works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering office (BCDEO) to appear before the local legislative body’s regular session to shed
light on the snail-paced widening project along Legarda road.
The resolution which was authored by all the local legislators claimed that the widening project along Legarda road is now being questioned by concerned residents and motorists because of the alleged snailpaced implementation of the project coupled with the intermittent works done along the stretch of one of the city’s main road which is causing serious inconvenience to the motoring and commuting public.
The widening project along Legarda Road is one of the major projects of the DPWHBCDEO purposely to widen the narrow portions of the road to allow the smooth passage of motor vehicles coming in and out of the city.
The resolution also aired the observation of the public that some of the widened portions of the road are now being used as parking areas of motorists residing in the area and those pa- tronizing different establishments in the area impeding the smooth flow of traffic during rush hours.
Members of the local legislative body added the somewhat topsyturvy implementation of the widening project now confuses the public on whether it is really a widening project for the smoother flow of traffic or for parking space for owners and clients of establishments in the area.
Councilors claimed the DPWH-BCDEO officials must explain to the public the primary purpose of the widening project to erase the impression that the public works initiative is primarily intended to provide owners of establishments along the stretch of the road line with additional parking areas, a measure which will instead complicate the traffic in the area.
While the local legislators claimed that they are not against the implementation of priority infrastructure projects in the different parts of the city, they assert there should be transparency in the implementation of the public works projects for the public to understand the real purpose of the infrastructure projects and the benefits of the same to the public as a whole.
Aside from the mode of implementation of the project and the use of the widened portions as parking areas of motorists and customers of business establishments, the resolution asserted that the delayed implementation of the works casts doubts on the minds of the people on whether or not the works are really for the greater interest of the motoring and commuting public.
Local legislators expressed confidence that DPWH-BCDEO officials will be able to justify the current state of the project to erase doubts in the minds of the people that the widening project along Legarda road is just for the implementation of the programmed project along the road line.