March 29, 2024

Complaints about people getting injured as a result of stepping on the tactile tiles installed on various sidewalks of Baguio continue to rise with several posting on social media the injury or injuries, they or the people they know sustained.

One such account is the broken knee bone that Czareana Daneille Mendoza’s 54-year-old mother sustained on Aug. 14 while she was walking on the sidewalk of Bonifacio St. near gate 3 of Saint Louis University at around 10 p.m. She said the sidewalk was wet at the time after it rained.

Mendoza said while her mother was walking on the sidewalk, she happened to bump into someone who was also walking on the same path. In an attempt to avoid the tactile tile, she tried to move to the side but unintentionally stepped on the tile’s edge, which caused her to slip and hit her knee.

Mendoza said the injury required surgery and three months to recuperate plus physical therapy. While waiting for surgery scheduled at the end of this month, her mother is using crutches to help her move around.  

She said her family favors the installation of assistive devices for the visually-impaired such as the tactile tiles and have adhered to the call of City Hall for “sighted” individuals to not step on these devices. But she said the advice of City Hall is not the answer to avoid the accidents that have been reported.

“Sana ‘yung nag-propose and nag-approve ng project na ‘to ay naglalakad din talaga sa daan ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan araw-araw, at hindi lang nakakotse. In planning, you should always consider the end-user of your design and the things that affect it, to serve its proper purpose,” she said.

Councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr. also posted on his social media account another incident where a lady pedestrian was at the point of crying when she also slipped when she stepped on the tactile tile. 

As more complaints are lodged about the tactile pavements, the city council scheduled an online forum about the issue this Aug. 22.

Mendoza’s family is planning to ask medical assistance from City Hall but withheld formally informing the city government about her mother’s accident pending the outcome of the forum on Aug. 22.

Meanwhile, Mayor Benjamin Magalong and the Department of Public Works and Highways have assured they are addressing issues on the safety of tactile pavements.

The mayor said they are considering ways to make the tactile tiles less slippery while assuring the materials have been certified to be of international standards.

He said the tiles do not have to be removed considering their serviceability to the differently-abled.

“We are reviewing their placements in sidewalks with narrow width and in slanted areas for possible removal or institution of remedial measures,” the mayor said.

He said the city will also intensify the information drive on its proper use by installing more visible warning signs to avoid stepping on the yellow lane as it may pose safety risk especially under the rain and encouraging people to follow the keep right policy.

The Persons with Disability Affairs Office and the Baguio Federation of Organizations of Visually-Impaired Persons (BFOVIP) reiterated their support to the adoption of the tactile technology saying it is a helpful innovation to their sector.

PDAO Head Samuel Aquino said the technology has been embraced by their sector that has easily adapted to its proper usage.

“After one and a half years, no incident of a PWD having accidents on tactile pavement has so far been reported. It is very beneficial and PWD-friendly,” he said.

Aquino has agreed there is need to intensify public education on its proper use and avoid installation in areas that do not meet the standard width and slope as they had pointed out in the recommendation, they submitted last year.

“Anyone saying this should be forgone because the visually-impaired are just a minority should take heart. Notwithstanding their small number, they are part of the community and their general welfare must always be taken into account as with the rest of the population. After all, any innovation should be inclusive and for general welfare and interest of the entire community,” he said.

Federation vice president Ever Basatan has affirmed the members have been benefiting from the tactile technology which has become a part of their daily life.

“We now call them ‘sure line’ and have come to depend on them for our mobility,” he said. “We trust that people with complete senses can better take care of themselves especially that they can see better than us. If they can see these yellow lanes, they should know that these are slippery and all they have to do is avoid it. Avoid rushing because it is really dangerous to those who are in a rush. Also, extra care is needed by the pregnant and elderly,” Basatan said. – Rimaliza A. Opiña and Aileen P. Refuerzo