PGKM chair Ruperto Cruz said Pamintuan should have pressed the MNTC to extend their road widening project up to this city.
Apparently, Cruz said, the MNTC has skipped Angeles in their road widening project and Pamintuan does not seem to care.
The MNTC has recently started work on the NLEx road widening project that will add another two lanes to the four-lane expressway between Sta. Rita in Guiguinto, Bulacan and the City of San Fernando.
Two more lanes will also be added to the northbound lane of the expressway from Dau to Sta. Ines in Mabalacat City, MNTC president Rodrigo Franco said last week.
He added that the MNTC allocated P5 billion for the expansion projects, which are seen to address the influx of motorists, especially during holidays.
Franco said traffic volume on NLEx increased by over 50 percent since 2005 and by another 25 percent during holidays.
“But why skip Angeles?” Cruz asked. “Is the mayor aware that the expansion is only until CSF and then on to Mabalacat?”
Cruz said Pamintuan should push for the road expansion until Angeles because if it won’t happen, this could be another form of sabotage of the Clark airport.
Cruz said Pamintuan should also explain to the people why he did not fight for the installation of lights along the expressway all the way to this city. The road lights are only up to Bulacan, he lamented.
“Why is this so when Kapampangans are also using NLEx,” he reasoned. “They know that the Clark airport is being pushed by not only Kapampangans but people in the northern regions but yet they are not doing anything to push for the NLEx expansion up to Angeles,” he said.
Unlike Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales who fought for the entry and exit toll booths of NLEx in Mabalacat, Cruz noted.
“As it is now, traffic in Angele City is already atrocious. But the things that could ease traffic… they failed to do,” Cruz lamented.
“There is already horrendous traffic even without the full development of the Clark airport, what more development can you expect if this is not addressed?” he asked. “Who would come here?”
“Mayor Pamintuan should find ways to mitigate the traffic. He just cannot allow unplanned development which is dangerous,” Cruz said. “As it is, Pamintuan’s apathy is burdening the public.”
