Sidewalk barriers that have to be removed

The administration of His Honor, Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama, appears to be doing its job of repairing some of our roads. His critics may say otherwise, because indeed, there are some streets that have seen better days but there are stretches that I can vouch to have been attended to by the mayor. True to the grateful nature of Filipinos, we still should thank him even if this were part of his work.

To anticipate mischievous questions, let me point out to the concreting being done on a portion of the road connecting Barangays Mabini and Paril. When I went there last Saturday, I saw the work proceeding with a faster pace compared to the earlier effort on a portion farther ahead of the present construction. If this work proceeds with the same earnestness, the project may be done before the end of the expected summer heat.

Lest I be accused of helping promote the political stock of the mayor, I am saying that this article is entirely intended to bring to his attention a problem consequent to a finished asphalting project. It is the downside of a completed project. While it is not obvious, it is present.

 In the city, a gang of workers descended recently on Gen. Junquera Street. They added a fresh coat of asphalt on the otherwise jagged road which I wrote about not very long ago. Our waiting for government action may have been a little bit long but we welcome it as it is being done.

Here is the good side. The asphalting of a portion of that road, from the Philippine Christian Gospel School to the corner of P. del Rosario Street, has made the traffic flow faster. Where before drivers, in their attempt to avoid potholes, would swerve right or left without warning and in the process run into accidents, they now can drive steadily.

The completion of this asphalting project, however, has also brought some kind a danger to the pedestrians. People walking on the street are exposed to traffic hazards. I have seen personally near accidents averted only by the proverbial skin of the teeth.

The question that has to be asked is why would people walk on the street knowing that the asphalt pavement would tempt drivers to drive their units faster? Why will they not use the sidewalk?

A visit to this particular site by the men of the mayor will provide the answer. There is a new building which houses the Honey Hunts Pension. We can observe that on business hours, the sidewalk fronting this establishment is converted into a parking space. There are motorcycles parked there in such a way that pedestrians can no longer use the sidewalk.

Let me hazard a guess. To make sure that appropriation of the sidewalk is completed, the owners or occupants of this building, or someone who must be acting under their instruction placed barriers between this structure and the next. There is no mistaking their act. They do not want people to walk on the sidewalk. The intention to block the sidewalk and prevent pedestrians from using it is abundantly clear. In fact, I have been informed that friendly neighbors have politely asked the management of this building (or its tenants?) to remove these obstacles but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

The result is obvious. Because pedestrians cannot use the sidewalk anymore, they have to walk on the newly asphalted Junquera Street. In the process, they are exposed to the risks of fast moving vehicles.

The situation calls for a quick government intervention. On one hand, pedestrians must be given back their right to use the sidewalk while on the other hand, the building owner must not be allowed to appropriate for his own use. Mayor Rama must order the clearing of these barriers and they have to move fast or bloody serious physical injuries, or even death, occur on this part of the city.