It’s the traffic, dimwit!

The title of this column is a take from Bill Clinton’s It’s the economy, stupid!

Motorists and commuters using the thoroughfares of Mabalacat City are exasperated and infuriated by the presence of traffic jams daily.

No amount of planning and designing can ever solve the traffic menace, it seems. Not even the skills and prowess of the once-designated traffic czar Willie Feliciano or the expertise of Engr. Roy Concepcion can put a stop to the growing discomfort and inconvenience of the citiz en s.

Metro Manila and Metro Cebu one experiencing traffic nightmares and from the looks of things, no solution is in sight for the problem. Where lies the problem then? The volume and density of vehicles plying their thoroughfares are too much for the roads to bear and the problem multiplies daily as no drastic solution is ever reached.

The same will hold true for Mabalacat City if the traffic problem goes on unabated. One factor is the narrowness of the major thoroughfares plus the lack of secondary or auxiliary roads to complement the main one when traffic builds up especially at MacArthur corner Velasquez Avenue and the Sta. Ines road leading to the NLEX exit.

And what about the present enforcers, are they of any help? It was observed that they even cause traffic build up at the busy intersections. One does not even know how to count vehicles which are allowed to pass through. The big cargo trucks add to the dilemma. And to think the Traffic Code is already in force. What help does it provide to solve the burgeoning traffic problem? Quarry trucks still park on both sides of MacArthur Highway, thus posing hazard to other motorists. Cannot the present local government officials do something about this? Is the Traffic Code ever relevant or is it just a piece of paper?

***** Pedestrians weave in and out of traffic causing distractions to incoming motorists and posing danger to their lives.

Local authorities should also look into this behaviour of pedestrians.

The construction of foot bridges planned by the previous administration should be followed up by the present Garbo leadership. These structures would be of big help to pedestrian s.

***** It is but proper that the government has suspended the peace talks with the CPP-NDF as its fighting arm, the NPA, has conducted serious attacks on government forces. We cannot talk peace while f i ght i n g.