Desperate scheme (On MMDA’s Wet Flag Project)
by ANAK NG BAYAN Youth Party Monday, Jan. 17, 2005 at 12:46 PM
carlramota@gmail.com

The MMDA is missing the whole picture. A drenched cloth passed quickly along EDSA and other major routes will not instill awareness to pedestrians regarding traffic rules and regulations.

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando is again on a rampage. Once more, MMDA is implementing a new scheme that is no less futile than its previous outrageous gimmicks.

The MMDA is missing the whole picture. A drenched cloth passed quickly along EDSA and other major routes will not instill awareness to pedestrians regarding traffic rules and regulations. Besides, hundreds of pedestrians and commuters flock to EDSA’s sidewalks alone everyday. MMDA’s small number of wet flag trucks cannot possibly patrol every single leg of its selected strategic points in these major roads. The moment the MMDA truck leaves, everything will just go back to ‘normal.’

Moreover, it violates a person’s basic right to personal dignity. Obviously, the scheme does not even consider, among others, the welfare of some commuters who might arrive at their schools and workplaces wet and dirty because of these soaked rags.

Instead of wasting time and resources to ridiculous projects, the MMDA should improve more on its implementation of specific and convenient loading and unloading zones for commuters. Also, it should develop our sidewalks so it will not have any problem making pedestrians use the sidewalk instead of the side of the roads. How can it instruct the people to use the sidewalk if there is no sidewalk in the first place? But this entails careful study and not simply abrupt and violent clearing operations.

What we need are rationale, widely-consulted and well thought-out policies, and not just desperate schemes.

Carl Marc Ramota
Public Information Officer
Anak ng Bayan Youth Party
32-A Visayas Ave., Brgy. San Isidro, Galas, QC

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