An expert skater shows off some tricks as several enthusiasts of the sport watch closely. A proposed ordinance wants to ban skateboarding, roller skating and other similar activities not only from roads but also on city sidewalks because of the danger skaters pose on commuters, pedestrians and themselves (CDN FILE PHOTO).
ROLLER skating, skateboarding, rollerblading or anything of that sort on Cebu City sidewalks may soon be a thing of the past.
An ordinance proposed by Councilor Sisinio Andales seeks to amend City Ordinance 801, otherwise known as Cebu City’s Traffic Code, which prohibits these activities on roadways.
Andales wants the ban to now include sidewalks.
According to his draft ordinance presented last week during the council’s regular session, these activities should be prohibited not only on Cebu City’s roadways but on city sidewalks as well “to avoid accidents which may endanger the lives and limbs of any constituents in Cebu City.”
One of the reasons for the prohibition cited in the ordinance is the dangerous practice of skaters “to even hold on to moving motor vehicles to facilitate their cruise.”
Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) head Rafael Yap expressed support for the amendment for the safety of all constituents and reduce accidents.
Yap said that if enforced, the ordinance will help remove a disturbance to pedestrians and motor vehicles.
Twenty-year-old Jesus Bedonia, a diehard skater, however, finds the proposal unfair.
“I mean come on. It’s hard enough to skate in the city. Sometimes sidewalks are all we got,” he said.
“We recently got kicked out of our skate spot near Plaza Independencia, and a couple of years back, we got kicked out of the access road near Ayala. We had no choice but to hit the streets,” Bedonia said.
Under the proposed amendment of the traffic ordinance, the Cebu City mayor may designate an area for enthusiasts which will be regulated to ensure the safe use of the facility.
But for serious skaters like Bedonia, the plan does not excite them at all as they have yet to see any area designated for them, he said.
“Skateboarders see things differently from other people. People would just walk by a bench, a ledge, a ramp, stairs, but to us, that could be the next trick we land,” he said.
“So we’re gonna keep pushing, with the wind in our hair, blood on our knuckles and with the roar of our wheels. We are athletes not criminals,” Bedonia said.
Andales’ proposal was referred to the city’s committee on laws for further study./ USJ-R INTERN DAFNE WENCESLAO