CHAOS and traffic jams are expected to reign in Dagupan beginning Monday.

This would be the scenario if the scheduled closure of the Dagupan City Holding area for passenger vehicles coinciding with the take-over of the new city officials, and no further negotiation succeeds.

Gotesco Investment Inc., owner of the former Pantranco Terminal where the holding area is located, has served notice that it is terminating the permit it granted for the use of its property, effective June 30, 2007.

The dislocation will likely faze the new city  officials as the holding area is the main terminal for most of the passenger jeepneys, mini-buses and commuter vans operating between the city and various towns and cities within Pangasinan, L.U. as well as Baguio City.

A letter from the company signed by Joseph Aragon, manager, dated June 22, 2007 and addressed to Noel Melecio, Mel Balolong and Jesus Cañeja, (now deceased) gave the latter until June 30, 2007 to vacate the premises which they converted into a holding area since the start of the Lim administration.

At presstime, it is not known if the closure will be suspended but if it isn’t, the new city administration led by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez will have their hands full on their first day of office in addressing the impending major traffic chaos.

Members of different associations of drivers and operators have since been apprehensive over the development as the holding area since no alternative site has been identified or designated by the city government.

There are other terminals scattered in other parts of the city but not one is big enough to accommodate all the passenger vehicles that would be ejected from the holding area on M.H. del Pilar Street.

Aragon said, Melecio, Balolong and Caneja were initially given a permit to use the area from January to December 31 this year, but the company suddenly decided to terminate the contract effective June 30.

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