Several calls were made after the discussion of the DOW budget. They talked about the allocation of funds for the maintenance of the roads, which are quite deteriorated. But they also discussed the issue of traffic congestion in front of the government headquarters when cruise ships are in port, which is daily.
The direction of traffic also complicated the matter. For example, the traffic that runs between the Renaissance and the government headquarters can only turn right. A parliamentarian (Berlis) requested to paint the road to allow traffic to turn left as well. However, he forgot that the signs also need to be changed.
A bit further up, there is the same situation and also under the bridge. In the case of those parked in the parking lot in front of the government, they can only exit and turn right to reach the Lagoen bridge to return and go up L.G. Smith Blvd to pass in front of the Government toward the hotel direction.
The pedestrian crossing, especially when there is more than one cruise ship in port, also causes traffic congestion. Along this route, there are four points where pedestrians cross the road, causing traffic congestion. Outside, the pedestrian bridge is widely used, where they are obliged to cross the street. However, it is not known if such an investment is worthwhile, considering that there is not much funding for road repair as is.
In his motion, Berlis mentions that the route between the former DOW building and the parliament is very frequented by locals and tourists, and the traffic congests when there are cruise ships.
He submitted the motion to reduce the traffic flow and create space and options for drivers to do so without breaking the law. In the motion, he urged the government to paint the middle line of the road according to Article 8 of the Traffic Ordinance and Article 9 of the Traffic Rules Decree to create the possibility for drivers to go both ways, thus helping the traffic flow on the road between parliament and Royal Plaza.
The traffic situation can become worse due to a lack of planning, considering there are two large condominium buildings, one of which is already completed, and the other has recently been purchased (Royal Plaza).
Therefore, these are some concerns from drivers who are asking DOW to take them into account.
