MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando yesterday said the plan is to saturate sidewalks and center islands of major thoroughfares with six-foot green and pink pedestrian barricades to discourage jaywalking and avoid vehicular accidents.
The MMDA had earlier installed pink signages to warn people that illegally crossing roads could be deadly. However, there are stubborn pedestrians who continue to defy the MMDA’s advice.
In fact at around 4:20 a.m. yesterday, an unidentified man was hit by a speeding taxi cab heading south when he allegedly tried to cross Roxas Boulevard in front of the White Bird KTV in Parañaque City.
SPO4 Sonny Mella, of the Parañaque Traffic Division, said the victim was between 40 to 45 years old, wearing a black T-shirt, shorts and rubber shoes.
"As a result of the impact, he was thrown 10 meters away from where he was standing," witnesses said.
Fernando said the pink barriers would be placed along the center island for visibility, so they would not blend with the plants. Meanwhile, the green barriers would force commuters to use the proper loading and unloading zones.
The green barriers would also stretch a few meters from major intersections to prevent commuters from boarding and alighting from public transport vehicles along corners that normally cause traffic jams in the area.
At present, theMMDA has already erected barriers in Cubao in Quezon City and in Magallanes and Ayala Avenue in Makati City. They would be installing mesh barricades along Commonwealth and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and the stretch of C-5 Road very soon.
The MMDA official said they could effect the arrest of persons who would be caught attempting to destroy the barriers.