DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 16 July) – Some types of vehicles will no longer be allowed to pass through the newly-inaugurated 8- kilometer first segment of the Davao City Coastal Road effective July 19, Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) head Ret. PCol. Dionisio Abude said on Saturday.
Abude said during an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that the regulation is intended to control the number of vehicles passing through the coastal road to ensure a smooth traffic flow.
“We expect more vehicles to pass through the coastal road. We need to regulate so that not all vehicles will go there. Instead of easing the traffic along McArthur Highway, we may only create another problem,” he said.
According to the advisory released by the CTTMO on Saturday, the following vehicles are not allowed: trucks weighing more than 4.5 tons or 4,500 kilograms, public utility vehicles such as buses, jeepneys, and L-300 vans, tricycles and trisikads, and all vehicles covered by the truck ban including those that are exempted like those carrying marine products and other perishable goods.
Allowed are the following vehicles: all vehicles weighing 4.5 tons or 4,500 kilograms below such as six-wheeled vehicles, including but not limited to vans, mini cargo trucks, mini dump trucks, meat delivery trucks; government-owned or private trucks of Department of Public Works and Highways’ contractors working on the remaining portions of the coastal road; government-owned or government contracted garbage trucks with collection points in Dumalag area; fire trucks, government-owned or private towing trucks or private utility trucks responding to emergencies; and armored trucks of banks and financial institutions.
He said the PUVs are not allowed because there is no existing route approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board that covers the coastal road while tricycles are prohibited because it is a national highway.
He said motorists are discouraged from making a stop along the coastal road to avoid obstructing the traffic.
Around 28 traffic enforcers, including mobile units, are deployed to monitor the coastal road, he said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inaugurated the first segment of the P33.772-billion coastal road project on July 1.
He said the project, which commenced in 2017 under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, is part of the goal of the government to connect all the country’s major islands under the Philippine High Standard Highway Network Program.
The entire coastal road stretches 17.783 kilometers from the Junction of the Davao-Cotabato Road passing through the coastal lines of Bago Aplaya, Matina Aplaya (Times Beach), Roxas Avenue section to Santa Ana Wharf and then R. Castillo.
The other portions of the road project include Segment B – Times Beach to Roxas Avenue, 4.435 kilometers; Segment C – Roxas Avenue to Sta. Ana Wharf, 1.754 kilometers; and Segment D – Sta. Ana Wharf to R. Castillo, 3.575 kilometers.
According to DPWH, the coastal road project “will serve as a bypass road, a coastal shore protection and breakwater that protects the city from sea wave actions, water surges and shore erosion.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
