By Emme Rose Santiagudo
A total of 26 waiting areas for Ilonggo pedestrians will be constructed along Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue or Diversion Road in Mandurriao district, Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed on Friday.
The mayor said the waiting shed will be designed to accentuate or highlight the flowers planted along Diversion Road.
“The design will be in consonance with the plants along Aquino Avenue. The design will be trellis with vines,” he said.
Engr. Salvador Pedregosa, officer-in-charge (OIC) of the City Engineer’s Office, said the waiting areas will serve as loading and unloading areas for pedestrians.
Pedregosa said they are finalizing the design of the waiting areas which will be approved by the mayor.
“Ang plano for the waiting sheds gina-finalize pa kay wala pa na-approve. Pero ang design ara na kag ang estimate gina-ubra pa lang,” he said in a phone interview on Friday.
Pedregosa said they aim to start the construction of the waiting sheds within this year.
“Ginatapos namon ang design tapos may approval pa na and bidding. The construction will follow and we hope to start it within this year,” he added.
He added that the construction of the waiting sheds was conceptualized even before the city designated Diversion road as its first “Traffic Discipline Zone” (TDZ).
“Directive ni mayor ang pagbutang sa waiting sheds sa Diversion. Ang ma-identify sang locations sang waiting sheds ang Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO),” he said.
Last Thursday, the city started the implementation of its first TDZ in the 14-kilometer stretch of Diversion road.
Personnel from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 6, Highway Patrol Group (HPG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and PSTMO personnel will monitor the area to ensure that local ordinances and national road laws will be strictly implemented.