Last week, some 100 lawyers threatened to sue government officials, to include those in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental, if they did not implement a law that would overhaul the road system as we know it, and transform it to favor efficient public transportation and non-motorized transportation such as walking and bicycling.
The law, Executive Order 774 Sec. 9 and Administrative Order 254, was signed by then President Arroyo.
The lawyers, led by Antonio Oposa Jr., Sigfrid Fortun, Rolly Vinluan, and Linda and Karen Jimeno, cited studies that show that only two percent of the Filipino population own cars but who control 98 percent of the road.
As a result of this social injustice, the lawyers said the 98 percent of the population are exposed to vehicular accidents and air pollution.
The notice to sue was a move to remind the local governments of the policy that has been largely ignored these past four years.
To make things worse, the government engineers have approved, and have been constructing sidewalks that are on the same level as the road. At first glance, it would seem that the roads became wider. But the actual effect only made the roads more unfriendly to pedestrians.
The move to make the roads more pedestrian-friendly has been gaining headway in Dumaguete City, with successful experiments conducted along Perdices St.
Not everyone, especially among the car-riding public, was happy with the experiments, spearheaded by Foundation University, but they showed that such a policy is possible.
Now, the world is catching up with moves toward healthy lifestyles and walkable communities.
Could we not be far behind?
