Hot under the collar drivers await traffic snarl answers

Temperatures of Panama drivers are rising in sync with rocketing fuel prices and increasing traffic jams.

After three months of talks by an interagency committee (Public Works and the Transport Authority with input from the Chamber of Commerce)  on ways to ease the traffic snarls, two suggestions seem to have emerged: car pooling and banning of trucks on city roads during the day. Whether this includes trucks traveling to and from the metro and public works construction sites,a major cause of the snarls, has not been mentioned. Another three months is expected for implementation.

Jorge Garcia Icaza , chairman of the transportation committee of the Chamber of Comerce says that next week the public will finally be made aware  of the options to reduce the impact of  blocked traffic.Garcia Icaza, who is part of the commission said on RPC radio that the Chamber needed a period of "three months to adapt to whatever is announced.

But he  stressed the need  to continue talking.  after the announcement is made. He mentioned the carpool ( the practice of sharing the use of a car) which has been discussed with the Government.. "We think that the carpool  is a relatively simple measure,"  He noted the proposal to restrict the access of large trucks to the city,  said that this issue is "complicated" because it requires greater security and schedule changes.