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Bogotá and Cundinamarca will have their litmus test this Monday: about 890,000 vehicles will return to the capital in the first plan to return the ‘new normal’.
Such a situation was not seen from the Kings Bridge, in January, the last holiday the country experienced before the covid-19 pandemic arrived. Although nine holidays have already passed since the start of the health emergency, and that there was passenger mobility, the flow had not been as great as now.
(Can read: What you should know about the peak and plate on the South Highway)
According to figures from the Cundinamarca Ministry of Mobility, since Friday, October 2, the day the week of recess began, more than two million vehicles left and entered between Bogotá and the region. And only since this Friday, October 9, more than 890,000 were counted.
The figure is not only huge, it is challenging. “To give you an idea, in the previous weekends we had had about 80,000 vehicles on the road and now we have this number. This week of recess had 28% more mobility than in 2019, ”explained the Secretary of Mobility, Jorge Godoy, and noted that the roads with the highest traffic were those that lead to the provinces of Sumapaz, Tequendama and Alto Magdalena The most crowded municipalities being Fusagasugá, La Mesa, Girardot and Ricaurte, among others.
On the other hand, according to figures from the Bogotá Transport Terminal, from October 1 to noon on October 10, “192,000 passengers departed in 25,400 vehicles, reaching 36% of passenger departures with respect to the same period of 2019; and in vehicles, 65% of normal operations ”.
(In other news: Van driver ran over and killed a cyclist in Chía)
To guarantee a safe return, the mobility authorities of Cundinamarca and Bogotá and the Traffic Police They deployed since yesterday afternoon a device that serves the entrances by the North highway, the South highway, 13th street, 80th street, the Llano road and other connection points.
But the eyes will be on, above all, the South highway, which is not only the road with the highest number of trips in this type of scenario, but it will also be the point of a peak and plate pilot.
Remember that if you come this holiday Monday in the direction of Girardot-Bogotá to enter Soacha through the South highway, you will find a peak and plaque. From zero hours to 12 noon and between 8 pm and 12 at night, vehicles may enter without pick-up and license plate. But between 12 m. and at 4 pm the first restriction shift will begin: only cars whose last license plate number is even can take the South highway, and between 4 pm and 8 pm it will be the entry shift for cars whose last license plate number is odd.
The restriction applies to the section of the South highway that passes through the urban area of Soacha. And since this is the first day, there will be no economic comparisons or immobilisations, but there will be three checkpoints where the Traffic Police will tell you that you must detour through Mondoñedo to continue to Mosquera and from there enter Bogotá.
(Further: He was José Duarte, the cyclist who died after being run over)
The rule is dictated by Decree 129 of 2020, signed in Soacha as one of the promises of Mayor Juan Carlos Saldarriaga. “The return plan was working very badly. Here, the authorities did not speed up the highway, but they did end up collapsing the entire city. There was already a lot of annoyance from civil society. And I saw how the Police took over the South highway, regardless of whether the people of Soacha took three or four hours to go from Commune 2 to San Mateo, “said the mayor, in an interview with this newspaper. The decree was signed in March, but could not be applied due to the beginning of the strict quarantine. At the time, the measure was arranged with Mobility Cundinamarca.
“Plan A is to meet the standard. But variables can arise … if congestion occurs in the afternoon, we will have to think of an alternative, ”noted the Secretary of Mobility of Cundinamarca. At that point there will be 50 mobility managers, and reinforcement will be sought.For now, the recommendations are to return early this holiday Monday and comply with all the rules of the Traffic Police along the way.
Key points
Traffic lights: To speed up the entry of vehicles to Bogotá, the Ministry of Mobility will prioritize traffic lights in corridors such as the South highway, the 7th race, the road to La Calera, 80th street, 13th street and Boyacá avenue at the end south.
“It is essential that citizens respect and abide by the signs in order to manage traffic well,” warned the mobility authority.
Controls: In the North highway, the South highway, the 13th street, the 80th street, the Bogotá-Choachí road, El Verjón, La Calera and the Llano road there will be drunkenness and bad parking checkpoints to guarantee road safety and optimal speeds .
Likewise, there will be traffic supervision in restaurant areas and shopping centers in order to avoid crowds.
Surveillance: In addition to the traffic control device on the roads of Cundinamarca, the Ministry of Mobility will have personnel within the capital. “Bogotá will have the elite group of SDM, the technology and data from the Traffic Management Center (CGT) and more than 30 drones to monitor the city, manage traffic and guarantee better road safety,” the District assured.
To continue reading:
– The 64-year-old traveler who wants to conquer Colombia by bicycle
– The color of the buses, our lesser evil / I go and I return
