Rise in accidents on pedestrian lanes worries Cebu official

TRAFFIC personnel should strictly enforce “right-of-way” of pedestrians on crosswalks and pedestrian lanes in the wake of reports that vehicular accidents  victimizing pedestrians went up to over 50 cases this year.

“This is a matter of public safety. Many drivers don’t stop even if people are crossing the pedestrian lane. Some even have the gall to blow their horn at the people, as if these people walk faster than the speed of their cars,” Councilor Dave Tumulak said in his privilege speech in yesterday’s City Council session.

He said vehicular incidents involving pedestrian crossing went up to over 50 incidents this year, which is higher than last year.

“The worst part is that many of these victims are most likely senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and especially children. Even if we create slow down signs for school zones, many drivers neglect to follow these rules,” he said.

Tumulak said City Ordinance 1452 penalizes violators of the pedestrian right-of-way with  P1,000 fine for the first offense. It goes as high as P5,000 for repeat offenders.

On the second offense, the driver’s license of violators may be revoked.

“We need traffic enforcers to be updated on laws involving our pedestrians, because if they are not penalized, accidents will increase in an exponential rate,” Tumulak said.

Cebu City Traffic Operations executive director Rey Gealon said they plan to increase the visibility of their enforcers, especially in school zones where many children are crossing, and on the peak hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“At the same time, we also want to remind drivers to respect other people who are using the road. This is all a matter of respect and concern for other people,” Gealon said.