A critical terminal

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panglungsod approved on its third and final reading an ordinance that will pave the way for the establishment of the new northbound terminal of Bacolod City.  The ordinance states that the government will establish the Bacolod City New Northbound Terminal and operate it or enter into a contract with a qualified private entity to build or construct, develop, use, operate and maintain the facility.

Under the ordinance, the mayor is authorized to create a committee that will study and review the management of the new terminal.  The committee will also design the traffic system of operation and submit and recommend its outputs to the SP for its approval.  The new terminal will be located in northern Bacolod, near the intersection of the Lacson National Highway and Banago Road, and is touted to be one of the immediate solutions to the recurring traffic congestion in the city.

If designed, operated, and maintained properly, a transport terminal that will serve public utility vehicles from and bound for the northern towns and cities of Negros should have a positive impact on the worsening traffic situation in Bacolod.  Whoever will be in charge of designing how the terminal will operate must bear in mind that a terminal facility, per se, is not a magical solution to the traffic problem. A poorly designed terminal will impede traffic flow along the one and only road that provides access to Bacolod City from the north and wreak havoc on the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of commuters and cargo that use that vital artery everyday.  A poorly designed terminal will make it more difficult for commuters to transfer from inter-city to intra-city routes, especially in inclement weather.  A poorly designed terminal will be a waste of taxpayers money, a waste of time, and will speak volumes of this city’s ability to provide workable solutions to perennial problems and the level of commitment of its elected officials in improving the traffic situation.

With this in mind, we hope that the people in charge of this New Northbound Terminal will take their jobs seriously and give the people of Bacolod and the towns and cities north of it reason to rejoice when it is finally in operation.*