Downtown man

In a few more days we shall be in the year 2010.

We hope that the New Year will truly bring in something new and good for us motorists like a better traffic management program for the various places in Cebu.

We can dream right?

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A reader wrote to us about his observations about the night market in Colon Street.

Randy Jugado wants the government officials, specifically the city officials like Mayor Tommy Osmeña and Vice Mayor Mike Rama to take another look at the project, which closes a portion of Colon Street at night.

Jugado in his email said that the officials seem to close their eyes on reality as the project instead brings the pickpockets to Colon instead of spurring business.

Aside from that it also brings the beggars, drunks, and other bad elements of society to the downtown area aside from contributing to the garbage problem.

We don’t know Mr. Jugado, but he does have a point as we have always seen garbage strewn after events here in Cebu.

He had a lot more to say like his worries about getting stabbed, but it seems that he hasn’t been to the downtown area that often to think of only such bad things.

Although we don’t reside in the downtown area, we have worked here for over two decades now in this newspaper that has V. Gullas St. (Manalili) as its home.

Several times during the week, we do go to the downtown area to buy food and other stuff, but we never have really had any bad experience despite the hustle and bustle. We do walk briskly and always make sure we have a hand on our back pocket and our mobile phone, but you can fall victim to similar crimes in the world’s biggest cities including those in First World countries.

He also mentioned about the effort not necessarily contributing to spurring business.

Personally, as a regular in the downtown area, we believe that in order to spur business in Colon again, parking spaces must be provided and there has to be more police visibility, which the PNP is actually trying to do now and we hope it would work harder on.

Without parking, many people would not dare go downtown for fear that their vehicles might be vandalized or if not towed for illegal parking. Of course their other worry is whether they can find a place to park or not.

Without the assurance of their safety, the people would also shun the place.

The malls and the uptown area are not exactly free from crime, but the downtown area just became notorious because of the many people, who have made the streets their home.

Since the downtown area is the old Cebu where urban planning wasn’t considered, it will take a lot of political will for our leaders to really bring back the good old days of Colon.

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For your comments, complaints and suggestions please feel free to contact us at 2531276 or 2538613 local 237.

You can also send email to [email protected].