Road accidents alarm Sorsogon solon

SORSOGON CITY -- Alarmed by the rash of accidents along the Maharlika Highway in the province, Rep. Deogracias Ramos (2nd District, Sorsogon) called on the Department of Public Works and Highways to look into accident-prone areas and include in its programs the expansion of the national road.

Ramos said the wave of accidents, which he noted had claimed so many lives, could be attributed partly to the narrow highway, especially in the second district. The second district covers the towns from Juban to Matnog where numerous accidents have occurred.

He urged the DPWH to install necessary traffic signs and warnings to caution motorists about the conditions of the road and, if necessary and possible, to impose speed limits. The latest accident occurred a day after Christmas when a van collided with a passenger bus in Barangay Bacolod, Juban town, killing six persons including the drivers of both vehicles.

Some weeks ago, two separate accidents occurred in the same spot in Barangay Sisigon, Matnog, killing five persons. In another accident, also in Matnog, a priest was killed after he was hit by a speeding sports utility vehicle which came from a blind curve.

Ramos noted that many parts of the Maharlika Highway in the second district, particularly the portion going to Matnog town, are either sharp or blind curves which make for a dangerous driving, adding that the road was built without much anticipation of the huge volume of traffi c as a result of the operation of the Matnog Ro-Ro terminal.

The lawmaker said the present volume of vehicles, not to mention their sizes, were far higher compared to the time when the highway was constructed in the 1970s and the port started its operation in the '80s. "Our planners did not foresee this volume of vehicles now passing through Matnog from Visayas and Mindanao and vice-versa," he said.

Ramos lamented that while Matnog is considered the gateway to Luzon and has high traffic volume daily, the road network leading to it is far inferior compared to roads in Central and Northern Luzon.

He said he will negotiate with the Road Board, which administers the funds collected through the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge to fund the expansion of the Maharlika Highway, especially the portion leading to Matnog.

Aside from reducing the accidents in the area, road widening would also allow bigger vehicles to travel more easily as he noted that construction works on the highway are limited to minor reblockings. -PNA