By PNA
KORONADAL CITY — The city government is planning to install more traffic lights on major street intersections here to address the worsening traffic problem.
City Mayor Peter Miguel said studies are underway for the installation of additional traffic lights in the city’s main commercial zone and other areas that experience perennial vehicle congestion, especially during peak hours.
The mayor led on Thursday the inauguration and formal switch-on of the city’s first-ever traffic lights along the national highway junctions of Posadas and Arellano streets.
“This is just the beginning. We will be putting up (more) traffic lights all over the city,” Miguel said in his speech during the program.
The city government unveiled the PHP16-million project after several weeks of tests by contractor Trion Electronics.
The traffic lights were installed in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways-South Cotabato Engineering District and the Land Transportation Office-Region 12.
Zaldy Gayosa, project engineer, said the traffic lights will be operational from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
He said these are equipped with sensors and automated sequence system for traffic control without human intervention.
“It has a modular system and its sequence will automatically adjust depending on the volume of vehicles like during peak hours,” he said.
Edgardo Tabago, city traffic office head, said they encountered problems with motorists who appeared unfamiliar with the system during its initial rollout on Thursday.
He said their enforcers flagged down violators, mostly tricycle drivers, and gave them proper instructions on the operation of the traffic lights.
“We’re giving our motorists some time to get familiarized with the system. But after this, we will impose the necessary penalties to violators,” he said.
