07/01/2024
A Treatise on the Tragicomedy that is the Traffic Situation in Nabua
“An Nabua, kin bukong baha, traffic an problema!”
This has been the recurring joke some of my co-workers then when I was still with a large beverage company. That was in 2002, when I was still sorting out bottles in Naga. Even then, traffic had been a headache for motorists traversing the Maharlika Highway through the town. That was more than 20 years ago. It’s already 2024 and things only get worse every year.
If one would really look closely at the situation, one can point out that Nabua is righ smack at the busy crossroad of the North-South corridor and East-West quadrant of the national highway system. AH26 traversing the entire length of the town and the provincial roads going to Iriga and Balatan transecting the national highway right at its town center. At any given time, traffic volume could reach, at the minimum, 10 vehicles per minute. This would include all types of vehicles, trucks, SUV, vans, jeepneys, sedans, multicabs, traysikols and padyaks, not counting the ubiquitous motorcyles that wreak havoc on our roads.
At a minimum of ten vehicles per minute, this would come to around 600 vehicles an hour. If one does the math and multiply that by the number of hours the highway system is busy, the number could be staggering. This is apparent as traffic build up starts as early as 7am in the morning and as late as 8pm in the evening. Traffic load on AH26 eases up only towards midnight until the early morning hours. But during daytime, particularly during weekdays, vehicles stretches both sides during the busiest hours of 8-10 am, builds up again at lunch time (11-2pm) and then again at 4-8pm. Most of these numbers are only estimates. A proper road inventory and traffic study would clarify the vehicle volume and appropriate vehicle volume for the stretch of road around the town.
Northbound traffic can stretch as far as Cagsawa at the heaviest peak period of 4pm-8pm and southbound until Macagang (morning, noontime, and afternoon), especially during market days. If it’s not that obvious, the peak periods coincide with the opening and end of classes at the two schools along AH26, as well as the start and end of office hours at the Municipyo. Traffic only eases up in between office hours and lunch time as well as during class hours. Nevertheless, the volume of cars and motorists never really ease up as hundreds of vehicles ply the north-south route and the east-west direction which intersects at two mid-points in the town. The first one is at the front of the Roman Catholic Church and the other at the side of the former Sampaguita Hotel. These two mid-points create very proximate choke points which adds to the road congestion and the slow movement of traffic. Those are vehicle chokepoints alone. There are three other choke points: one in front of LCC, the two others are at the front of the two large schools in the town. Pedestrian choke points. And that snarls traffic. Imagine five pedestrian crossings in a 250m stretch of road? A thirty-second stops to let pedestrians cross the street would amount to a traffic stop of around two and a-half minute for vehicles coming from both Legaspi and Naga. In a typical day, based on the assumption that for a single minute, there are around 10 vehicles of any kind on the road, that would amount to around 1,500 vehicles of all types (both ways) coming to a halt along a quarter of a kilometre stretch of highway. Just imagine that. A proper time-and-motion study would help clear up this observation and assist in the proper placement of pedxings in a 250m stretch of road.
Add to this the number of local motorists who drives motorcycles, traysikols and padyaks. This adds up to the traffic congestion along the national highway as most of traysikols, motorized padyaks and padyaks are slow-moving. Motorcyles not only hug the middle of the road but also occupies most of the sidewalk parking areas around the centro. The proliferation of motorcycles not only messes up traffic but also clog up major road arteries as these motorcycle drivers, including tricycle drivers and padyak operators, have a mindset that they must hog the middle of the lane as it is the safest spot for them. A screwed-up mindset makes for a screwed-up traffic. It must be emphasized that three-wheeled vehicles are prohibited on national roads. Some people will deny this or have probably been disregarding this rule since time immemorial. But they can always refer to DILG MC # 2020-036 as a reference or a reminder for their forgetful minds. “For safety reasons, no tricycles should operate on national highways utilized by 4-wheeled vehicles greater than 4 tons and where normal speed exceed 40 kph.” Of course, there are exceptions, but only if enacted by the local legislative body. And that does not include the typical Pilosopo Tasyo remark that the normal speed along Nabua’s national highway is only at 5kph because of traffic. Said memo circular has recently been updated by MC 2023-195 issued only last December 6, 2023 and others that dates as far back as 2007 with several iterations from previous administrations before the present dispensation (DILG MC 2007-01, DILG-DOTC Joint MC # 01, S.2008, DILG MC # 2011-68, DILG-DOTC Joint Memo # 001, s 2017, DILG MC # 2020—004, DILG MC # 2020-036, DILG MC # 145, DILG MC dated 10-11-22). For some officials, that would be a lot to chew on if they have not been implementing these rules.
Now, as to why the roads in Nabua is so bad traffic can be snarled for hours? If one would look closely at the road stretching from San Miguel Bridge until Imban Bridge, the road had been widened large enough for two-lane traffic, except for some stretch that have not been paved yet. The problem with this stretch of highway is that the widened lane is occupied directly by businesses fronting the highway. The DILG has issued numerous circulars, the latest of which is DILG MC # 2023-017 for barangay officials to clear the roads under their jurisdiction. Prior to this, DILG also issued MC # 2022-085 which ordered all LGUs, from the provincial government down to the barangays including the PNP and the BFP, to clear all major and national roads, including barangay and provincial roads. Also, the said Circular also compels the local Sanggunian to enact a pertinent road clearing ordinance that would ensure that roads are always accessible. The LGU can always refer to the above circular as well as MC #2019-121 for the necessary guidelines. Or they can directly ask the DILG representative in the municipality for clarification regarding these directives for their guidance.
But then again, all those circulars and guidelines from the DILG were only good at the start of the road clearing implementation but in the end merely became photo-ops for all the local officials conducting the said road clearing operation. I sure do hope that that the local SB was able to enact a road clearing ordinance as mentioned in one of the MCs. Nevertheless, road clearing was just one of the measures that was implemented not only to speed up traffic but also take back the roads from unscrupulous businessmen who are using the side of the roads for their own business ends. These businessmen must be reminded of the easement rule along roads and highways, as these would provide clarity as to what our roads are used for.
Another problem that is very apparent but seems to be very mysterious is the number of pedestrian crossings in the town. In a 300m stretch from the front of the NNHS until the side of the Roman Catholic Church, there are five (5) pedxings! Imagine that! For every 60 meters, a pedestrian crossing is snarling up traffic for almost a kilometer at both ends of the road! Pedxings are necessary but having 5 of them in a 300m stretch would really foul up traffic in any given locality. What if we could put one pedxing every 100m instead, reducing it to only two or three? One at the front of the public market and one at the municipio? This would facilitate a faster flow of traffic at the same time allow pedestrians to cross the streets at a significant distance. It would also allow vehicles to flow smoothly along the road. A time and motion study, as part of a traffic improvement plan, could further validate if such a measure is feasible.
Another laughable thing about all the traffic tragedy in this town is the preponderance of ineffective and inefficient traffic enforcers. This is obvious in the way they handle the flow of traffic in the Centro. The purpose of traffic management is the smooth and seamless flow of vehicles and pedestrians on the road. One of the peeves that a motorist can get from such traffic enforcers is the way they prioritize traffic flow. It must be noted that the primary road is the AH26, where the greatest number of vehicles usually are in any given hour of the day. Traffic enforcers in turn must then give priority to the faster movement of traffic along this road as the volume of traffic along AH26 is at its highest any time of the day. The secondary roads, the provincial road going to Balatan, and the one going to Iriga, does not have such a high volume of vehicles. As such, the movement of traffic must be managed sparingly between the national road and the provincial roads where reducing the vehicle volume is the utmost concern, primarily on AH26. To remedy this, a traffic light can be installed in the intersection going to Balatan as this is the major choke point in the area. A traffic light could be better than wasting taxpayer’s money on unreliable individuals. An automated traffic controller is much better than human traffic aides who are prone to fatigue and certain biases.
Another very apparent but mysterious traffic peculiarity in the town is the number of vendors and cars that are parked in the stretch from the front of the NNHS all the way to the front of the Municipio which makes a mockery of the rule of law and road clearing guidelines from the DILG. These roads are supposed to be free of any obstruction, from vehicles to mobile stores, motorcycles and other traffic hazards such as pedestrians walking on the road. If that stretch of road is freed from any obstruction, traffic will probably flow rather smoothly as the outer lanes would be utilized as intended, free from any store, vehicle or motorcycle parked illegally. It is always an amazement among motorists why these mobile stores, a de facto bus stop/terminal, and parking spaces at the front of the NNHS up to the Municipio have been allowed to operate there for years despite the horrendous traffic experienced daily by both motorists and pedestrians. It is quite laughable when there have been numerous road clearing operations yet, all throughout the years that has gone by and those MCs from the DILG had accumulated, traffic keeps getting worse each year, plus the fact that the problem has not really been fixed despite all the complaints coming from everywhere.
Now, we come to the serious question. What makes traffic in the town center so bad that it is getting worse by the day? Everyday. Every fu***ng day it gets worse with not an end in sight. Nabua has now become famous for its horrible traffic and not for anything else, not even the infamous one meter plus floods that inundates that same stretch of road and halts traffic to a standstill for days. Is it the lack of discipline not only of pedestrians and but mostly motorists? Could be. The large volume of vehicles? Maybe. Small carrying capacity of roads? Probably. Is it the fault of the residents, or that of local officials? Anybody’s guess, I believe!
As far as I can remember, when I was still in government service, local government units were required to come up with their respective LPTRP. A document required from each municipality, prepared by the concerned local officials. A plan that should have been prepared years ago by the concerned local officials to organize local routes, inventory all available road assets and designate the different roadwayss for specific use. If the said document is in existence, then “Carmageddon, Nabua version” would have been prevented, or at the very least, minimized. It would have come up with the maximum number of traysikols based on the road carrying capacity in the town, laid out the routes where padyaks can traverse without being a hazard to other motorists and came up with the maximum number of e-jeepneys or modern jeepneys instead of the multicabs that can only accommodate a few passengers but takes up the whole length of one side street for their parking. For the curious ones and the geniuses out there, you can always refer to the DILG-DOTr JMC 001, s2017 on what LPTPRP is all about. This was circa 2017, issued almost a decade ago but mostly fell on deaf ears in majority of the LGUs nationwide, so Nabua is not alone on this one.
This is another example why local plans are as important as the town’s CLUP. Incidentally, it is stated that in the approved land use plan of the town, there should be an integrated terminal for all the types of mass transport system in the town: modern jeepneys, vans, local buses and those bound farther north or south. Three-wheeled vehicles (traysikols, motorized padyaks, padyaks and even e-bikes) are not supposed to be on national highways, so I am not sure if they could be allowed into the integrated terminal as envisioned by the MLUC. An integrated terminal would have been great if it were in place by now, easing up traffic load along AH26 as it would help decongest the main road where jeepneys and buses load and offload their passengers.
So why the need to fix the tragically laughable traffic problem that is Nabua’s Carmageddon? Two Es: Economic and Environment. It’s bad for the economy and a lot worse for the environment. I will elaborate further below:
1. Lost man hours every time traffic halts to a standstill. Before, travel time between the cities of Naga and Legazpi would take only around two hours, by bus. Nowadays, between Naga city and Nabua alone, it takes an hour and a half. If your vehicle is caught in Nabua’s Carmageddon, one’s trip could stretch to another hour or two because of the congested roads. Thus, a previous two-hour trip could turn into a four-hour drive, or a loss of 4 man-hours, especially during weekdays.
2. An hour-long traffic stand still translates to hundreds of cars on the road burning lots of fuel, diesel or gasoline in particular. A litre of gasoline would usually take one 10 to 12 kilometres on an automobile. That would translate to about 10 to 12 minutes travel time driving at about 60-80 kph, depending on the flow of vehicles on the road. If one is stuck in traffic for around 15-30 minutes, as in the usual case in Nabua’s Carmageddon, that can translate to a minimum of 2 litres of fuel being wasted by each vehicle. Based on the earlier assumption that there are around 10 vehicles a minute on the road, that would translate to about 20 litres of fuel burned per minute. If a vehicle is stuck for 30 minutes along the 300m stretch of road along AH26, that would translate to about 600 litres of fuel for every type of vehicle (2- or 3- or 4-wheeled). At an average of P61.00 per litre, this could amount to around P36,600.00 being wasted in a thirty- minute span, or about P1,220.00 burned per minute stuck in traffic. Just imagine that.
3. The effect on the health and well-being of the local population, as well as the motoring public might not be evident or quantifiable. But considering the lost man hours alone for those employed or making delivery runs for logistics and transportation services, the amount could be staggering in terms of the stress levels for drivers and their crews who have deadlines to meet for their deliveries as well as for bus drivers who have schedules to keep for their passengers. Apart from this, the noise level due to the large concentration of vehicles on the road, shoots up particularly during the peak hours of road congestion. The high decibel levels could be measured in the areas adjacent to AH26 and could only be properly determined thru a proper study conducted professionally. Apart from establishing noise pollution levels, there is a need to also determine the toxicity levels around the immediate area where traffic congestion is happening. Fumes emanating from vehicles is the major contributor to certain health conditions and its effect could stretch to a radius of a few kilometres from the source.
4. Notwithstanding the economic costs, Nabua’s carmageddon would also have environmental effects detrimental not only to the people but most importantly to our planet itself. The use of fossil fuel is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gases which has devastating effect on climate change. As mentioned earlier, for a 30-minute span, an estimated 600 litres of fuel are being burned based on a traffic volume of 10 vehicles per minute consuming about 2 litres of fuel. In an 8-hour period where traffic is at its peak for about two hours in the morning (7am-9am), another two-hours during mid-day (11am-1pm) and almost four hours before sundown (4pm-8pm), an average of 1,200 litres of fuel per hour is probably being turned into cancer causing greenhouse gas. For all types of vehicles, that amount of fossil fuel being turned into greenhouse gas per day would be staggering, notwithstanding the amount in terms of peso equivalent to an average of P73,200.00 burned during a one-hour period. Such amounts give us not only the economic impact but also the environmental cost due to the traffic congestion in one busy stretch of road alone (a 300m stretch of road, by the way).
In summary, the detrimental effects can be summed up into the following: 1) Loss of Productivity; 2) Economic Costs in terms of fuel amounting to thousands of pesos lost due congested roads; 3) Health and Well-being of both motorists and residents; and most importantly, 4) the Environmental Costs brough about by noise, air, and industrial pollution. Some of these effects are barely felt or observable as those are intangible effects of human activity. But more importantly, the environmental costs has such a large impact on global warming in particular and climate change in general.
So, what needs to be done to remedy the situation? There are few options available and very limited time that can be taken given the gravity of the situation. But among these are a few practical ones that can be initiated immediately such as but not limited to the following:
1. Take back the roads!
a. An honest to goodness undertaking to clear all roads, particularly the national and provincial roads, of all and any obstruction. AH26, in particular the stretch from San Miguel Bridge until Imban Bridge must be cleared of any hazard and obstruction so that it can be used only for its intended purpose: vehicular traffic use. Several automobiles and motorcycles are even parked right in front of the newly widened pavement fronting the PNP HQ in the town. Really tragic, isn’t it?
b. All businesses along the roads, national or provincial, must comply with the directive not to use their frontage as an extension of their shops or businesses. Everyone must be reminded that national roads have a RROW of 20 meters, as such the easement on both sides of the roadway must always be observed, respected and maintained and not used as tambakan of their items.
c. Cleared or widened portions are not parking spaces for any type of vehicle, movable or immovable, nor a place for business by any entity. Businesses must have their own parking spaces but not on the side of the road or occupy the roadway that have been paved with taxpayer’s money.
d. The roads surrounding the public market are still part of the easement of the national highway system, thus, the said space should not be used as parking space for any type of vehicle or as a delivery receiving area for stores located within and outside the public market. All violators of road clearance and easement rules and regulations must be apprehended and penalized as per the regulations and ordinances enacted by the local legislative body or DILG guidelines.
2. Discipline, discipline, discipline!
a. Road discipline is the key. A reiteration of the DILG circular banning all and any 3-wheeled vehicle (traysikol, motorized padyak, padyak and e-motorcycles) must be implemented. No measure of traffic management would be successful if slow moving (30kph and below) vehicles are allowed to occupy the national roads intended for vehicles running above 40kph. A traysikol or padyak moving at 20kph would invariably results to a ten second slowdown of all vehicles behind. If the number of vehicles piles up to more than 10, it would translate to about an almost two-minute delay in the movement of traffic at the back of that slow moving vehicle.
b. Motorcycle drivers occupying the inner/middle lanes intended for 4-wheeled vehicles must be apprehended and penalized. The national road system is intended for automobiles and all 3-wheeled vehicles are prohibited from using the national highway (two-wheeled vehicles are only accommodated as a courtesy provided that they occupy the outermost lane and give way to larger vehicles at all times.)
c. Pedestrians must always be mindful of roads and vehicles and must not contribute to traffic congestion. They must be reminded that they should only use the side of the roads and pedestrian crossings. Those not following the rules on pedestrian use of roads and crossings must be apprehended and penalized. That would include motorcycle riders and bikers who uses the pedestrian walkways and road gutter for their bikes and motorcycles to evade traffic.
d. Every type of vehicle and automobile must follow all traffic rules and road regulations in order to prevent chaos on the road. Strict enforcement of said rules and regulations will ensure a manageable flow of traffic on both sides of the road. There should be no exception whatsoever.
3. Additional Road Paraphernalia
a. This may sound a bit odd but a formal study of the recommendation to reduce the number of pedestrian crossings (5 pedxings in a 300m stretch of highway) to only two (maximum 3) which requires a thorough undertaking to include options for 1) elevated pedestrian crossings in front of the a) Municipio, b) in between CSPC & NNHS, and c) at the side of the Church in front of the public market and; 2) covered elevated walkways from the front of the Nabua Parish Church until NNHS (both sides) and across to the public market in front of Angena. All pedestrian will be required to use the said elevated walkways and crossings, except for seniors and PWDs. This would promote health and wellness among children, students and adults at the same time can be used during the rainy months when the roads are flooded.
b. Installation of traffic fence or pedestrian separator on both sides of the road from Gate 2 of NNHS all the way to the street going to San Isidro. This is to keep pedestrians from straying onto the highway. Such a pedestrian divider would further speed up vehicle movement especially if road crossings are reduced and elevated walkways and pedestrian crossings are installed, preventing traffic congestion in such a short stretch of road. The same roadside pedestrian separators can be installed at the side of the public market to keep market goers and vendors from occupying the road allotted for vehicular traffic.
c. Installation of a traffic light in the intersection going to Balatan, in the middle of the national highway (AH26) to control the flow of traffic, free from human intervention. This would facilitate the smooth flow of vehicles in the north-south direction and regulate traffic for those going in the east-west route. It is recommended that vehicles coming from Iriga City going south towards Legaspi and west to Balatan take the San Isidro barangay road to synchronize it with vehicles coming from San Roque turning left towards Naga or Iriga, thus minimizing stop times for both directions and having a seamless traffic flow.
d. A full time and motion study as part of a larger traffic improvement plan is necessary to determine the proper sequencing and the optimal spacing of pedestrian crossings and traffic light operation that will be conducted along the 300m stretch of road in the town centre.
4. Enactment of the appropriate measures by the local government and local legislative body is paramount.
a. Road clearing ordinances and easement rules and regulations for houses and businesses located along roadways and highways must be properly observed, regulated and implemented if already enacted into local laws and regulations.
b. Enactment of an ordinance that would support the prohibition of 2 or 3-wheeled vehicles from national roads must be enacted to give teeth to the DILG circulars. This would not only allow faster flow of vehicles in high-speed highways but also minimize the risk of accidents and other mishaps involving these kinds of vehicles, thus ensuring the safety of passengers and motorists.
c. Limiting the number of registered traysikols, padyaks and motorized padyaks plying the different routes would drastically reduce road volume. This could be achieved either thru outright reduction of registered 3-wheeled vehicles or by designating the days (number coding) when such vehicles can ply their routes.
d. The above measures can be integrated into the preparation of the Local Public Transport Route Plan, if none has yet been prepared, or an integrated traffic master plan, that would address all the issues and concerns related to road systems and public transport as well as traffic regulations in the municipality. The said document would designate the optimal route network, the proper mode needed and determine the required number of units needed for public transport as well as the appropriate measures needed to implement traffic rules and regulations in support of the local public transport route plan or an integrated transport management plan.
All these ideas, concerns and observations are mere suggestions and recommendations. It is up to the proper authorities to determine what is best for their constituents, the motorists in particular, and the commuting public in general. The success of any traffic management plan requires the proper consultation and the cooperation of all the stakeholders. A seamless and smooth traffic flow can only be achieved thru the cooperation and proper attitude of those involved, including motorists, pedestrians, enforcers, and local officials. Public officials must understand that they are but mere servants of the people. Private citizens in turn must understand that following the rule of law and local regulations are key to an peaceful and orderly society.
