MORE pedestrian footbridges will be built in the National Capital Region to prevent jaywalking and road accident, which contribute to the worsening traffic situation in the metropolis.
This month, according to the advisory released by the Metro Manila Development Authority-Public Information Office, the agency is scheduled to construct three footbridges in Quezon City.
Two of them will be built along East Avenue: one in front of the Social Security System Main Building and the other at the corner of V. Luna Road near National Statistics Office building.
Both projects are scheduled to be completed on July 12.
Another footbridge will be constructed at the corner of Timog Avenue corner Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, set to be finished by Aug. 11.
The MMDA came up with the footbridge project in close coordination with local government units and the private sector to prevent incidents of jaywalking and to discipline the public to cross the road only at designated places.
MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos said jaywalking along the major thoroughfares and streets was one of the contributory factors to the traffic problems and road accidents in Metro Manila.
Orbos said his agency was fully implementing the Anti-Jaywalking policy after observing that undisciplined pedestrians openly disregard pedestrian lanes and warning signage.
He earlier ordered his men from the Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group to intensify the implementation of the policy.
“Aside from pedestrians, the SCOG personnel will also apprehend passengers who will get off on no-loading areas. Violators will be penalized with a P500 fine,” he said.
MMDA personnel were able to apprehend more than 30,000 persons caught violating the anti-jaywalking policy, a minor offense but one of the common causes of accident and traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
Violators will be given Pedestrian Violation Receipts and fined P500 or they have the option to undergo community service.
Instead of risking their lives crossing the street, the MMDA urged the public to use footbridges.
At least 110 footbridges had been built around Metro Manila.
More than half were constructed by the MMDA, while the rest were built by the local government units.
In 2014, members of the Metro Manila Council, the MMDA’s supervising board and policy-making body, approved the proposal of the agency to increase the penalty against jaywalking from P200 to P500 following reports that the numbers of jaywalking incidents were increasing despite numerous government efforts to educate undisciplined pedestrians.
The MMDA said despite the huge amount of taxpayers’ money that had gone into the construction of footbridges, people continued to cross busy streets and dangerous portions of the roads where they were not supposed to.