Since this measure came into operation, times on public transport have been reduced by 15 minutes, while accidents have been reduced by 80 percent.
The preferential lane for urban transport implemented on Ejército Mexicano and Juan Carrasco avenues, between Insurgentes and Gutiérrez Nájera, has generated much controversy in Mazatlán.
However, according to the Municipal Planning Institute, the main advantages of the project are the reduction in the number of traffic accidents, the reduction of air pollution, vehicular traffic on the road, the installation of official stops that increase the road safety and the improvement of the urban image of the city and shorter transfer times of the transport service.
On the other hand, the merchants in the area have pointed out effects such as low sales, business closures, elimination of parking lots and vehicle vandalism.
The delegate of Roads and Transportation of Mazatlán, Jesús Ernesto Sandoval Landeros, stressed that despite the criticism, the preferential lane is still in force.
“We trust that this will benefit everyone, there will always be resistance to any change, but we are going to move forward,” he said.
For his part, Juan Zatarain pointed out that since the implementation of this transit measure, the main avenues of Mazatlán have seen better circulation, despite the opposition of some people.
He added that the recently implemented project will continue despite the disagreement of some merchants, as it is already up to 50 percent advanced.
“The preferential lane is not a impulse of the authority, nor of the carriers, it is a necessity that Mazatlan requires. The port has three main roads, which is the Mexican Army, Del Mar avenue and Gabriel Leyva, and it is a chaos not only on those three roads, but throughout Mazatlan, ”he said.
Likewise, he indicated that 80 percent of the 630 urban buses circulate on Ejército Mexicano avenue, and since there are no options, such as building a second floor, it is necessary to implement this measure, given the current traffic congestion.
He assured that since the lane came into operation, public transport times have been reduced by 15 minutes, while accidents have been reduced by 80 percent.
However, merchants in the area assure that the measure has affected their sales, since people cannot park on the avenue and leaving their vehicles in the surroundings has caused them to suffer from vandalism.
According to data from CANACO Mazatlán, three businesses have closed down, while others that rent premises are about to leave. There are 44 shops that are located in the area.
Source: El Sol de Mazatlan
