WHO can ever forget the landslides along Diversion Road years ago along the portion near the old garbage dumpsite once known as “smoky mountain”? For many Dabawenyos, the resulting traffic jams during that time, which extended from Panacan entry to the Matina Pangi side was surely one sight to behold. Even as that problem of landslides a few years back may have already been a thing of the past, one would think that the traffic at Diversion would have eased one bit since then.
On the days leading to December and on to Christmas last year, massive jams still marked the same diversionary route to the Davao International airport. and on one such night, I sat in the car with my son, stuck in one such mesh just several days before. With New Year’s already gone four days, I had thought traffic would once again be back to normal.
Last night, I messaged my son to ask WRU, as he was supposed to pick up the mum at uni several hours ago. After a few minutes, he had typed back ‘traffic’. That highway snake once again.
It should be recalled that since 2017, the addition and improvement of the city’s roadways, plus the extensive road widening of highways around the metro had been initiated.
Even with these upgrades, it just seems that there’s no stemming the tide of vehicles which, especially during rush hours, jams our roads. Because of this, many Dabawenyos eagerly await the opening of the coastal road in the south of the city when it opens hopefully sometime this year and hope that it has a significant impact on the traffic problem.
During one online photo post of our fam and my visiting son at a popular cove north of the city, a friend had replied we were brave to drive through the traffic. I just thought, just like other locals, necessities and misery make strange companions and despite any roadblock or limitation, you still have to step up to the plate and swing.
On the whole, Davao motorists and commuters, compared to their counterparts in Manila and Cebu who eat traffic jams for breakfast, appear to be the more patient lot.
In spite of their many horrid stories about their being hostage for hours on end to our local chaotic bumper-to-bumper snarls, Dabawenyos can still be candid about it the situation. After all, horrid is just a matter of perspective. Strangely, it’s mostly the private vehicles that account for a majority of the traffic violations incurred during heavy days, as intimated to me by a traffic officer-once-tennis buddy.
On many occasions, this adds to the clogging of bottlenecks in busy areas, ergo more traffic.
Meanwhile, on a personal note, there’s something pleasant to be had when being in public transport stuck in traffic, I remember. Stories abound if you’re lucky and it’s just not the same when inside a private vehicle devoid of strangers with amusing tales. Light green, time to roll.
