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THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has found an
ally for its Pink Line project, which aims to instill discipline in
the use of sidewalks.
Roberto Cruz, spokesman of the Private Motorists
Alliance Coalition (PMAC), said the pink lines painted by the agency
on the sidewalks of major thoroughfares are needed to teach the
public on the proper use of sidewalks, which sometimes become
parking spaces if left unguarded.
“Actually there is no need to mark our
sidewalks with pink lines. However, because of lack of discipline,
the MMDA has to come up with means to make sure property owners will
not occupy what is considered the road-right-of-way,” Cruz
explained.
The PMAC spokesman said since the MMDA started
painting pink lines on selected sidewalks, private vehicle owners
now have an idea on where to park their vehicles properly without
obstructing the path of pedestrians.
“Our group will support the MMDA as long as we
can see that it is for the benefit of the majority and [to] instill
order on the roads,” he said.
The MMDA in January started painting some 40
kilometers of pink lines along South Superhighway and EDSA. Under
the project, three-inch wide pink lines shall run parallel on a
total of 10,000 kilometers of roadways in the metropolis to mark the
separation between sidewalks and thoroughfares. The initial focus
will be on major thoroughfares.
Vehicles parked on the pink lines would be towed
if the owner or driver is not present. They would be fined P500
besides paying the impounding fee of P800 to P1,500 plus P80 per day
that their vehicle is left unclaimed at the impounding area.
Cruz said that with the prices of petroleum
products going up, the government should consider other ways on how
to save energy and the MMDA’s introduction of various programs to
clear roads and sidewalks is one of those alternatives.
-- Jefferson Antiporda
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