EDITORIAL - New sidewalk heights score vs. illegal parking

Some people are reportedly complaining about the new height of Cebu City's newly reconstructed sidewalks. From what used to be a height of maybe six inches, the new sidewalks now measure roughly a foot. It was previously written here that the probable reason for the new height was to prevent sidewalk parking. It might in fact be the real reason. If so, we are totally in agreement with the motivation.

The complaints against the new sidewalk height have largely been anonymous, which makes it likely that they were made by those who have now been deprived the opportunity to park on sidewalks. The trouble with these complainants is that they do not say so -- that they resent the new heights because they cannot park on the sidewalks anymore.

Instead, they make it appear that the complaints come from students, the elderly and persons with disabilities. They are using these people as a convenient excuse to hide their own identities. Nevertheless, even invoking the name of students, the elderly and persons with disabilities does not in any way hold water against the new sidewalk heights for the simple reason that the new sidewalks do not inconvenience these people at all.

Here is the truth of the matter. At about a foot in height, the sidewalks are no higher than the ordinary steps found in any house, school or building. At every street corner or pedestrian crossing, there are gently sloping ramps that have even been widened to give easier and more convenient access to anyone, be they ordinary people or schoolchildren, the elderly or persons with disabilities.

Aside from street corner and pedestrian crossing ramps, there are also ramps that lead to driveways and parking spaces. In other words, the sidewalks are not uninterrupted and insurmountable ramparts as what the complainants apparently want to project. They are broken every so often by ramps that give easy access to anyone and anything.

And so it is very clear where these complaints are coming from. They come from those who can no longer park on the sidewalks because, true enough, a sidewalk that is about a foot high makes it almost impossible for a car or similar sized vehicle to go over. Worse than complaining without stating the real reason for the complaint is using the name of other people who in fact have no basis to complain on their own.

If the truth be told, raising the height of sidewalks was a stroke of genius and whoever thought about it should be commended. It solved with one stroke what used to be a huge problem of sidewalk parking, perpetrated by people who wantonly acquire vehicles without the parking spaces to secure their precious properties. As the city cannot stop people without garages from buying cars, and has not the manpower to prevent illegal parking, raising sidwalk heights was the next best thing.