A TOP official of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) Wednesday, December 21, said measures are now in place to manage the expected heavy traffic this weekend.
RTA overseer Edgardo Uy said the days off of all traffic enforcers have been readjusted to ensure that all of them will be working this weekend.
He said they will also deploy more enforcers in the afternoon until night time than in the morning.
Traffic is expected to be especially heavy on Saturday as city residents and visitors from adjoining provinces head to the malls and groceries for last minute shopping.
Uy said they expect the traffic congestion to be at its worst yet.
He also urged motorists to be more patient and to follow traffic rules.
“Dili pud gayud ingon nga gamay lang ang i-deploy sa morning, daghan gihapon siya, pero mas daghan lang gayud sa hapon ug gabii kay diha nato gi-expect na modaghan ang vehicle nga dili lang sa (It does not mean we will deploy few enforcers in the morning, there are still plenty of them, but there will be more in the afternoon and evening since we are expecting more vehicles not only in) Cagayan de Oro alone but also from neighboring provinces nga diri mag-spend ug holidays sa atong dakbayan (to spend their holidays in the city),” he said.
Some P90 million has been allotted for the RTA next year, more than half of which will go to the salaries and wages of its personnel.
Uy said around P40 million has been slated for the purchase of new equipment.
“Ang P49 million ana sweldo sa existing employees, and nabilin nga around P40 million ipalit ug dugang equipment nato nga makatabang sa enforcement (The P49 million will be given to the existing employees as salary, and around P40 million will be used to buy additional equipment to help the enforcement),” Uy said.
Uy said the RTA will be purchasing motorcycles for the traffic enforcers, a boom truck, materials for road markings, traffic signs, which he said, will be visible in every corner of the city in the first quarter of next year.
He said he is certain this will have a good effect on the traffic problem of the city.
“Daghan ni sila kay among target ang city proper pun-on gayud ug (There are plenty of them since our target is to fill the city proper with) traffic signs for information education, while ang uban sa kwarta syempre pang-gasolina and maintenance sa tanang equipment diri, apil na pud ang (the rest of the money will be for the gasoline and maintenance of all the equipment, including the) job order,” he said.
“Syempre, gamiton pud siya para sa continuing training para sa mga (Of course, it will be used for the continuing training for the) new traffic enforcers to really beef up the enforcement,” he added.
