Making Dagupan pedestrian-friendly
TAKE a walk around downtown Dagupan and you will find that the city is now pretty much pedestrian-friendly with majority of the sidewalks cleared of obstructions.
The Sidewalk Recovery Program, steadily implemented since City Ordinance No. 1873-2006 was passed, has borne fruit with city officials concerned keeping up to the tasks.
The streets of Burgos, Rivera, and Gomez are noticeably free of sidewalk obstructions and these areas actually appear enticing for a stroll.
In Arellano-Bani, the ongoing road construction is nearing completion and elevated sidewalks are being readied. The stores and houses along the road have finally yielded spaces to give way to the mandatory two-meter wide sidewalk.
Mayor Al Fernandez Jr. has a standing order to make and maintain Dagupan clean and orderly.
The Anti-Littering Task Force continues to chase away ambulant vendors who occupy the sidewalks on A.B. Fernandez Avenue.
Eng. Carlos delos Reyes, Chief of Anti-Littering Task Force, however, said the city government will have to deal with the ambulant vendors on a daily basis because many insist on taking chances with the law to make a living.
As a compromise, the city hall recently agreed to allow the vendors to sell in specified areas of the sidewalks on designated periods during the day outside of peak hours. Outside of the allowed period, the cat-and-mouse chase continues.
Meanwhile, the City Engineering Office, tasked with dismantling of illegal structures and extensions, continue to serve notices to violating establishments, giving them 5-days to clear obstructions; failing that, the CEO dismantles them.
City Engineer Virginia Rosario said clearing operations continue without let-up to make Dagupan a pedestrian-friendly city. —Sunshine Erfe, UPang
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