Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Bacolod City

Bacolod is Negros Occidental’s provincial capital. Like many big cities, it is bustling with so many vehicles. Lucky that is road network is generally wide, and there is a circumferential road that diverts many vehicles away from the hussle and bustle of the downtown area. Still, traffic situation in the city's northern part (Mandalagan, especially) is getting worse.

Two big malls attract many of the city's and the province's shoppers, Gaisano and Robinsons'. A 3rd and bigger one, SM City Bacolod, is currently under construction at the back of the provincial capitol. Old and now smaller (compared to the 3 big malls mentioned) department stores like Lopues will be no match to those giant new-comers.

There are 2 seaports in the city: Banago port where Negros Navigation boats dock, and in the reclamation area, where super-cat boats that ply the Bacolod-Iloilo-Bacolod, Superferry and other commercial boats and cargo ships dock.

What contributes to bad traffic situation in the city is the absence of islands that separate the opposing lanes. Many vehicles just make a left turn or U-turn anytime, anywhere and anyhow. Another contributor to slow vehicular movement, is the deterioration of many roads in the city, largely due to the huge trucks that carry heavy cargos of sugarcane to be delivered to various sugar centrals...

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