Tom-Vic and harried commuters
One of the points raised in the Senate’s public hearing yesterday on the proposed federal charter has a bearing on Cebu City’s traffic congestion woes. The point was that the collection of road user’s tax and vehicle registration fees would become part of the 18 regional governments’ powers and fund sources, unless that part of the draft is changed.
At present, the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC) goes to the Road Board chaired by the public works secretary. A meager five percent of that is supposed to go to the local governments. But whenever heavy traffic or the lack of mass transportation comes up, it’s often the City Government that takes the blame.
The tit-for-tat between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 Director Victor Caindec once again emphasizes that traffic and transportation management is a complex challenge that several agencies at the local and national levels must face together.
It’s difficult enough to get everyone to coordinate. An internecine conflict between two officials with equally important roles to play can be disastrous, as commuters passing by Mambaling area found out last Monday. Those who had to bear additional traffic weren’t just city residents, but also harried commuters from other points south.
Caindec is partly right: local governments must take responsibility and be held accountable for the management of street traffic. But Osmeña is partly right, too: the LTO’s mandate includes the enforcement of traffic laws, without which, unruly drivers would make streets more chaotic and dangerous. For this, it may deputize other government personnel.
At least two other national agencies share the responsibility for enabling everyone to get to their destinations in as swift and safe a manner as possible. The Department of Public Works and Highways--whose underpass project is a big part of Mambaling’s recurring gridlocks--is tasked with planning for and building the infrastructure the public needs. For that, it should work closely with the Department of Transportation, which is responsible for anticipating, planning for, and implementing mass transit systems.
If the plan to establish federated regional governments becomes real, among their exclusive powers would be infrastructure and public works, as well as supervision over local governments. Yes, one more layer to add to the often-tricky relations between local and national governments. One thing the fireworks between Mayor Osmeña and Director Caindec again demonstrates is how conflicting political alliances and a penchant for bickering can get in the way of the collaboration everyone needs, for public services to work better.