THE 18TH Davao city council passed on suspended rules Friday, July 7, the resolution to enact an ordinance amending the hours of truck ban which was stipulated in the Davao City Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Code 2012.
The council through transportation chair Conrado Baluran passed Ordinance No. 0227-17 which is an ordinance amending the pertinent provisions of the Ordinance No. 0334-12 series of 2012, known as the “Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Code of Davao City.
Section 2 of the ordinance read that the amendment aims to stabilize the traffic flow for all kinds of vehicles traveling in and outside Davao City, and also to promote the regularity of business transactions through unhampered carriage, shipment of goods within and outside of Davao City at any hours of the day or any day of the week.
The amended and previous ordinance stated that the entry and exit of cargo trucks, gravel, and sand trucks, and other heavy cargo trucks with more than six wheels and up or whose gross vehicle weight exceed 4,500 kilogram, including tractor trailers, containerized haulers, or refrigerated vans shall not be allowed to travel on any and all the streets of Davao City, except Saturdays, Sundays, Special and Non-Working Holidays, and along streets specified as truck routes.
The Section 3 provides amendments to Section 1 of the Truck routes and Limited Truck ban, in the Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Code of Davao and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) per Executive Order No. 18, Series of 2015, particularly Section 1, of Rule XII (Truck Ban and Public Transport routes).
With the new amendment, the use of truck routes shall be restricted to the hours of five in the morning 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Previously, the use of truck routes provided in the Ordinance No. 0334-12 Series of 2012, restricted the use of truck routes to hours of seven in the morning 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
With the ordinance, the truck ban routes shown were also amended. The ban now covers the Southbound to Northbound route coming from General Santos City and Cotabato, beginning from Toril area, from the vicinity of GTH, up to Crossing Mergrande Beach Resort.
It also covers Southbound and Northbound route coming from Cagayan and Bukidnon, beginning from a point from Catalunan Pequeño proper up to the corner Greenhills Subdivision. The northbound and southbound route of vehicles was also covered from Bunawan proper to the vicinity of Sumifru.
In the previous ordinance, the Northbound and Southbound route ban coverage starts from the junction of J.P Laurel, and R. Castillo near the gate of C. Alcantara and Sons, Inc, kilometer 7 in Lasang.
Meanwhile for the Southbound to Northbound route, it covers Bangkal at the vicinity of Lonbisco at the junction of McArthur Highway proceeding to diversion road, and CP Garcia Superhighway going to Panacan.
Based on the resolution, the City Transport and Traffic Management Office had positive findings of the Truck Ban (Experimental-Extension) report following the resolution allowing the extension of the experimental truck ban from June 13 to June 30.
“We find this as an effective traffic scheme considering Davao City is progressing fast and this also will help alleviate the traffic congestion on the areas where the big trucks are prohibited especially entering peak hours in our urban center,” the recommendation read.
Prior to the extended experimental ban, a three month experimental truck ban from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. was approved by the council from March 1 to May 31 in with the area of coverage now in place as part of the amendment. (KVC)