Tuesday, February 07, 2017
By ERWIN P. NICAVERA
THERE is a need to continue improving the traffic situation in Bacolod City to allow businesses to flourish, thrive, and expand, an official of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) said.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of MBCCI, on Monday said good traffic systems should complement peace and order as vital components of maintaining a business-enabling environment.
Carbon, also the regional governor of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in Western Visayas and Negros Island Region, said that aside from the protection of life and property, the local government in collaboration with the police and other agencies, should also include traffic as priority for improvement.
“If you put everything in order then it would be easier for business to grow,” he said, adding that “poor traffic situation could discourage potential investors.”
The business group said they don’t want to happen in the province, especially Bacolod City, the current traffic woes in Metro Manila and Cebu.
Millions of man-hours lost daily due to traffic could be converted to billions of wastes and losses, Carbon said.
Thus, there is a need for the city to be proactive, he added.
MBCCI initiated the dialogue among the officials of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6, leaders of various transport groups in the province, and personnel of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) in Bacolod City on Monday.
Carbon said they are pushing for a regular forum like this so that issues pertaining to transportation should be given immediate action.
“We are trying to bridge concerned government agencies to the local transport sector so that all concerns will be discussed and resolved in a proper forum,” Carbon said.
In Bacolod City, roads in terms of wideness are still the same yet the number of both pedestrians and vehicles in the city are increasing thus, proactive measures should be done, he added.
