Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) Head Enforcer Daryll Longid is batting for the closure of what he called the “most abused blue lane” below the overpass between Malcolm Square and the Baguio City Market along Magsaysay Avenue.
He said apart from being non-strategic for being located near a busy intersection, the lane has also become the domain of jaywalkers and abusers.
Longid said from September this year, the POSD has apprehended more than 2,000 violators of the Anti-Jaywalking Ordinance in the area alone.
This is apart from those who were flagged for using the pedestrian lane on account of misplaced interpretation of the true purpose of the lane.
He said the lane should only be for senior citizens and persons with disability who are physically challenged but as it turned out, even able-bodied persons take advantage of it on account of being a PWD or on account of being the companion of a senior citizen.
“Strictly speaking, that access should only be for physically disabled persons with mobility assistive devices such as adult walker aids, wheel chairs, mobility scooters or basically any device that makes it impossible for the user to scale up and down the overpass,” Longid said.
“Abled-bodied seniors, persons with other forms of disabilities, pregnant women, people carrying children, people carrying goods, should still use the overpass as it is there to keep them safe from the busy vehicular traffic below. For our seniors and the visually impaired, our usual advice is that it is always best to use the overpass rather than sumugal na maki-pagpatintero sa mga sasakyan sa blue lane na ito,” he said.
He said it is ironic that the most impacted sector are the ones who actually use the overpass instead of the blue lane.
“As per observation, individuals who use mobility devices do not pass through the blue lane at all. There was one on a wheelchair back in August and he was a tourist,” he said.
He admitted his office had been the subject of complaints from those being accosted who call them out for being inconsiderate and heartless.
”But we are being considerate. We act on it on a case-to-case basis. Nakikita naman ng enforcers natin kung may capacity ‘yung senior na mag-cross on their own or hindi at kung nakikita naman na kailangan talaga, pinagbibigyan namin. The same thing for PWDs with disabilities other than the physical,” he said.
He said this situation has made it difficult for his men and the traffic enforcers of both the city government and the Baguio City Police Office to manage the crossing which most of the time requires a team of four to five enforcers and policemen who could be sent to other important missions.
This is apart from the fact that it has been causing traffic snarls on both lanes especially for those coming from Abanao who after negotiating the traffic light intersection will still have to contend with the crossing causing a standstill at the intersection.
“As per the Persons with Disability Affairs Office, blue lanes should be in conjunction with pedestrian lanes but in the case of the subject, there is no pedestrian lane because there is an overpass,” he said.
Longid said he will take up this concern anew with the Traffic and Transportation Management Technical Working Group to possibly implement the closure of the said lane. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
April 20, 2024
