Pinuno party-list Rep. Howard Guintu on Tuesday expressed frustration over road-widening projects along major streets in Metro Manila that he said were useless because of electrical posts left in the middle of the newly-built lanes.
“While we appreciate the road-widening projects meant to improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila, there are some projects that have been poorly implemented, including one in the Sto. Domingo area in Quezon City that recently became viral on social media,” Guintu said as he sought a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation into the matter.
“The road-widening projects are useless electrical posts left in the middle of the newly-built lanes. So rather than having five passable lanes for our motorists, the improper placement of these electrical posts make the outermost lane completely and utterly useless,” he added.
To address these concerns, Guintu filed House Resolution 215, urging the House Committees on Energy and Public Works to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the status of the relocation of electric posts in the middle of roads.
“Despite the various circulars issued by the Department of Energy and the Department of Public Works and Highways to address the relocation of electrics posts in the middle of roads, including Joint Circular No. 3, Series of 2019, which provided for mechanisms and timelines for the immediate relocation of electric posts within the national government’s right of way, the presence of these posts obstructing roads remain prevalent and apparent not just in Metro Manila but throughout the country,” Guintu said.
“We call on the DOE and the DPWH to address this issue of electrical posts that are improperly located along our roads. The sooner this is rectified, the sooner these lanes would be passable, giving more space for our motorists. It would also make our streets safer as there will be no hazards within the roads. Let us strive to give our taxpayers the projects that they rightfully deserve,” he said.
Along with his frustration over the electrical posts along what would have been passable lanes, the Pinuno Party-list lawmaker also bemoaned the waste of taxpayers’ money for the project.
“We laud the government’s efforts to alleviate traffic in the metro as we have seen how much it has prioritized road-widening projects, but this is just a waste of a perfectly passable lane, defeating very the purpose of the road widening project,” Guintu, a member of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, said.
He added that motorists and bikers are hesitant to pass along the lane given the hazards and obstructions the posts present, which he said may lead to accidents.