Background of the Study Dealing with traffic congestion is a hurdle
Background of the Study
Dealing with traffic congestion is a hurdle. Catching up with your appointment is a hurdle. The continuing improvement in international traffic congestion data makes comparisons between different cities globally far easier. Annual reports (2013) by Tom Tom have included China, adding the world’s second largest economy to previously produced array of reports on the Americas, Europe, South Africa and Australia/New Zealand. Moscow is the most congested city, with a peak hour index of 126. This means that the average 30-minute trip in free flow conditions will take 68 minutes during peak hours. Moscow has a limited freeway system, but its plans could relieve congestion. The city has undertaken a wide geographical expansion program, with the intention of relocating many jobs to outside the primary ring road. This dispersion of employment, if supported by sufficient road infrastructure could lead to improved traffic conditions.Brussels has the 10th worst rush hour traffic congestion with an index of 75.This means that a trip that would take 30 minutes at free flow takes 53 minutes in peak hour congestion(Cox, 2014).
In the Philippines, Manila, Metro Manila commuters and motorists alike spend more than an hour, on average, in traffic every day, placing the Philippines’ capital the third worst in traffic in Southeast Asia (GMANews, 2017). This is the reason why some people tend to go over speed just to meet up the time they need to be in their respective rendezvouses.
With the cooperation of the agencies and the national government, a new law regarding the regulation of the speed limit has been passed.According to CNN Philippines, the Republic Act 10916 or the “Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016,” which lapsed into law on July 16, mandates fitting all PUVs (save for taxicabs, jeepneys and Transportation Network Vehicle Service or TNVS cars used in Uber and GrabCar), closed commercial vans, cargo haulers, tanker trucks and company shuttles with one or a combination of mechanical, electronic and/or communications systems that would prevent them from exceeding a speed limit to be set by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (Saunar and Bacungan, 2016).
Before the national government passed the law regarding speed limits and road safety, Davao City had already initiated an implementation of an ordinance regarding the regulation of the traffic situations of the city.In 2013, the local government implemented Executive Order No. 39, which is an order setting the speed limits for all kinds of motor vehicles within the territorial jurisdiction of Davao City. This had made a major change in the city’s traffic flow, and there are many positive critiques received coming from different cities in the country. Its implementation leads motivation to other cities that they need to re-evaluate their traffic systems. This is one of the city’s ordinances that made the city a framework for changes.
Then mayor, now president of the country, Rodrigo R. Duterte signed the ordinance, saying that the implementation of this is for the road safety of the commuters and drivers travelling within the city to avoid road accidents that might occur in the next years to come. However, nowadays, people kept on complaining situations regarding the traffic flow of the city. Different parts of the city frequently experience traffic jams, not only on rush hours, but on almost any time of the day, and this leads to people’s disappointment.
Local businesses are affected and many people cannot arrive at their destinations on time. Commuters and drivers (especially PUJs in particular) are the most affected in this situation.
One of the reasons for this is the increase in the construction industry, and the City’s economic progression. In addition, the increase of the people migrating to the city can affect the situation depending upon their behavior in dealing with the traffic. With that increase also, there are a lot more people who can afford buying vehicles, if not for business purposes, for just their own convenience. Thus, it can contribute to the volume of the vehicles travelling within the city.
With these given feedbacks, is the ordinance still effective enough for the city’s progress? Is the ordinance still efficient to its supposed help to the city’s performance and is the ordinance still sustainable with its supposed purpose?
This study aims to re-evaluate the effectiveness of Davao City’s speed limit ordinance and its impact to the lives of the residents of Davao City.
