DAVAO CITY- The local government of Davao City through its City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) are looking at ways to improve the flow of traffic in busy streets and thoroughfares.

According to CTTMO chief Dionisio Abude they will be following the recommendations of the 15-man team from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which did an assessment last month on Davao City’s traffic situation. One of those suggested is having a traffic count.

“With the traffic count, mahibal-an nato ang level of services sa isa ka area (We would know the level of vehicles in one area),” Abude said.

He said the traffic count would be done morning and afternoon during peak hours to determine the vehicles in a particular street.

“On our end, we identified the areas like crossing Matina, Maa, Sandawa, Quimpo,” Abude said. The main purpose of the traffic count is to adjust the timing of the traffic lights in the intersections.

For the heavy traffic at the Matina Crossing they have presented to the City Transport Traffic Management Board a solution called “the cutting of islands” which means reducing the length of islands at MacArthur Highway-Matina Crossing that will create another lane for vehicles turning toward Matina Aplaya or Matina Aplaya.

“Yung mag left turn going to Aplaya or to Pangi, magkaroon ng dedicated slot for left turn,” Abude said.

The City’s traffic chief said they are looking at reducing 60 meters of the islands within the Matina crossing area. He cited an earlier model,  the road section along SM Lanang where they requested the management of SM Lanang and Toyota to cut their curbs.  This will create additional lanes towards Damosa junction for vehicles turning left to Mamay Road and for cars going straight to Lanang.

As for MacArthur Highway particularly Maa and Sandawa, the joint study has concluded that the area is already clogged with vehicles.

“ If there are no projects or widening that will be done by DPWH our recommendation if there is no widening to accommodate vehicles we will recommend the construction of a flyover,” Abude said.

They are also recommending traffic lights for Malagamot and the construction of a layby for passenger drop-off along Panaca so that these buses and PUJs dropping off their passengers will not cause traffic along the busy road.  

Another recommendation from MMDA which they are looking at is creating a division for the monitoring of traffic enforcers.

“But in our case in Davao City we have inspectors so yun ang i-incorporate na merong division or section na andun sila para mamonitor ng traffic enforcers at madali ang coordination on the field,” Abude said.

For the future, Abude said they will be studying the use of drones in monitoring traffic situations so they can determine the cause of gridlocks or bottlenecks. Drones are more effective than sending motorcycle personnel to look at the cause of the traffic.

“Basig unsay nahitabo basig naay bangga, basig naay problema so drone siya dali lang kaayo (Maybe something happened, a collision or a problem with the drone it’s easy to see),” he said. (PIA/RG Alama)