Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Unruly pedestrians directly contribute to the traffic congestion along EDSA, according to authorities.
“Based on the assessment yan talaga ang nakakadagdag sa pagsikip ng kalsada. Pero kasi ngayon focused kami sa mga sasakyan,” Inspector Ismael Naguit, a team leader of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) said on Wednesday (September 9).
[Translation: “Based on the assessment, it really adds to problem. But the thing is, we are now focused on motorists.”]
In the past, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) decided to rule the pedestrians with an iron hand to force them to walk on the sidewalk and pedestrian lanes.
Sidewalk vendors were also driven away from the road.
Related: Following road rules amid heavy rain and bad traffic
The MMDA even implemented the “Wet Rag” scheme, where the erring pedestrians were shamed in public using a huge wet rag attached to an MMDA truck that traverses the outermost lanes of EDSA.
The strict implementation of the shame campaign in the past reportedly yielded positive results. But the question is, will the MMDA now take the same route to discipline pedestrians?
Related: Are vendors, pedestrians adding to worsening EDSA traffic?
But according to Gus Lagman, president of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), it is necessary for the authorities to show the public it is capable of punishing them to maintain order on the road.
“Dapat pinaparusahan ang mga pedestrian saka mabilis yung pag-implement ng parusa. Dapat magkaroon ng traffic courts. Dapat may penalty kasi kung wala, hindi yan matututo,” he said.
[Translation: “Erring pedestrians should really be penalized. There should be traffic courts (to hear these cases). Because they will never learn if there’s no penalty.”]
Presently, jaywalking is the only punishable offense for pedestrians and there are no other existing penalities for people obstructing the highway.
In 2014, the fine for jaywalking was raised to P500 from P200.
According to authorities, they expect more orderly behavior on the part of the pedestrians once stricter penalties are put in place.
