By Jane Cadalig
KENNON Road's supervision has become a tug-of-war between the regional offices of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
While DOTC Regional Director Federico Mandapat stands by his claim that the DOTC was given authority to supervise the national road, DPWH personnel insists otherwise.
Alexander Castaneda, head of the DPWH Benguet Engineering District 1, said it is the DPWH, which has the authority to supervise Kennon Road, being the sole agency mandated to manage the highways.
"I believe Kennon's supervision is under the region (DPWH)," Castaneda said.
The question on what agency has the proper authority to implement regulations along Kennon Road came about when Mandapat banned inter-regional public utility vans from traversing the road, citing safety reasons.
Mandapat re-routed vans coming from Pangasinan and La Union to Palispis-Aspiras Highway (formerly Marcos Highway), effective September 1 last year, which raised howl among van operators and residents along Kennon.
DPWH Regional Director Mariano Alquiza in an earlier letter to Mandapat said it is his office, which has the authority to impose regulations over the road.
Mandapat, meantime, said the DOTC acquired the jurisdiction to ensure public road safety through Administrative Order (AO) 184 issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The AO, Mandapat said, disbanded the Multi-Sectoral Committee on Road Safety and transferred its functions to the DOTC.
Mandapat based his order banning vans along Kennon Road on a geological map issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) indicating 85 percent of the national road is highly susceptible to landslides.
Geologist Faye Apil of the MGB said the road is unsafe for motorists during the rainy months.
The DPWH usually issues a closure advisory during typhoons and heavy rains.
Members of the Benguet Provincial Board passed a resolution asking Mandapat to recall his order.
Residents and van operators traversing Kennon have sought the intervention of local officials on their plight.
Mandapat has stood firm on his stand not to allow inter-regional vans along Kennon Road, saying even if they traverse the road, they are not allowed to load passengers along the way.
Doing this, he said, is a violation of the conditions in their franchise application, which is on a point-to-point basis.
Operators complain taking Palispis-Aspiras Highway costs them more, while making the travel time to Baguio City and back, longer.
Kennon is the shortest route to Baguio from Metro Manila and other lowland provinces.
[ Published by : sunstar.com.ph ] February 6, 2008
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