Reminding pedestrians again

THESE are the last days of the Kadayawan Festival. It was an exhilarating celebration despite the controversy surrounding cultural misappropriation. It’s back to business as usual.

We would like to remind revelers and pedestrians to observe the local Traffic Code which includes sanctions for jaywalking. Pedestrians should be reminded that violators are apprehended and fined, so they should cross only on pedestrian lanes for safety.

Because we seem to suffer from short memory, there should be a consistent information campaign on the proper use of the zebra stripes. There are instances when pedestrians cross the street if they see there are no vehicles especially in one-way streets like CM Recto and Ponciano Reyes. They just couldn’t wait for the traffic sign that allows them to safely cross, but dash to the other side of the street without even bothering to look if a vehicle is turning a corner.

It’s sometimes tricky to cross in lanes where drivers can do a permissive turn such as the intersections in Ponciano wherein pedestrians have to cross carefully to avoid being hit by vehicles making a right turn. Drivers should also be informed about the traffic signs especially in areas where there is a sign that says “Right turn must turn right.” This could be quite baffling to some drivers.

The code also includes the yellow boxes for loading and unloading of passengers. The bottleneck at the corner of San Pedro and CM Recto streets are oftentimes caused by PUJs unloading passengers close to the intersection. It does not only cause traffic, it also poses risks to the safety of those who are disembarking.

This is just a reminder that discipline on the road for both pedestrian and drivers often show the level of a city’s progress.