EDITORIAL - Bring the barriers back

During rush hour in Cebu City, especially the downtown area, it has become a common sight to see throngs of people waiting for a ride. When a bus or a jeepney comes along that waiting turns into a fight, it becomes the survival of the fittest.

Only those who are willing to run after public transport vehicles and jostle with others for a seat are rewarded with an early ride home. Those who don’t must wait for an hour more if they are lucky, longer if not.

Naturally, those who are too young, too old, or those who are not willing to or cannot compete for seats get left behind.

It seems the right time to bring back those metal sidewalk “railings”, “dividers”, “barriers”, “guides” or whatever those things were that forced people to form a queue while waiting for rides.

For those who cannot recall, in the mid-90’s and in a bid to have Cebu City residents emulate the same discipline Metro Manila residents have while waiting for public transport, the city government installed special sidewalk barriers that forced people to queue when waiting for a ride during rush hours.

The idea worked; when the rush hours came people lined up to get a ride. It was first come-first served, but people with infants and seniors got a free pass and were even ushered to the front of the line. The people in the line also policed it; calling out anyone who dared cut the line or wait for a ride outside the queue.

However, the barriers eventually fell out of use and were later removed as more public jeepneys were introduced.

But now it seems like a good idea to bring those things back, what with more and more students going back to face-to-face classes and the population increasing in general.

Note that these things don’t have to be installed everywhere; just those strategic areas where too many people wait for a ride during certain hours. Also note that these also don’t have to be used all the time; they can be bypassed when there is no competition for rides.

There is another reason to rethink putting those barriers back. In its own way it can teach Cebu City residents about discipline.

And discipline is something the city needs if it is to reach the goal of being Singapore-like.