BACDOL CITY: The city government here is exploring ways to maximize the use of the recently-opened multi-billion Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway (BANOCEH). Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the committee on traffic and transportation, said on Monday that the City Council is awaiting the recommendations on the study of the Bacolod Traffic and Transportation Management Department (BTTMD) regarding the proposal to restrict trucks, large vehicles, heavy equipment, and other similar vehicles along the Circumferential Road and allow these types of vehicles to pass through the BANOCEH instead.

According to Philippines News Agency, this proposal aims to enforce a total truck ban along the Circumferential Road, especially targeting sugarcane trucks, given the availability of the new access road. Espino stated that this ordinance would help maximize the use of BANOCEH and ensure the Circumferential Road remains free of trucks, enhancing safety for motorists and pedestrians. The Circumferential Road
, a major thoroughfare in the city, experiences heavy traffic daily and runs past the Bacolod City Government Center in the eastern part of the city.

Last week, the City Council passed a resolution directing the BTTMD to assess the feasibility of requiring trucks and large vehicles to exclusively use the BANOCEH, while restricting their access to the Circumferential Road. Espino also mentioned that the City Council plans to ask the City Planning and Development Office to conduct a study on resource allocation for the utilization of BANOCEH.

The modern road network, funded by the national government and costing over PHP7 billion, is intended to create more growth centers in the city. The BANOCEH was completed on August 30 and spans a 48.8-kilometer stretch from the Bacolod South Road junction in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, to the Bacolod North Road junction in Victorias City. It includes the opening, concreting, and improvement of roads, along with the construction and enhancement of 16 bridges.