AN EXPERIMENT is intended to verify, refute or establish the validity of a theory. The Movement for a Livable Cebu (MLC) held the Green Loop road-sharing experiment Sunday.
Perhaps, MLC wants to establish that the 95 percent of the people who don’t own vehicles want a share of the road.
Did the 95 percent show up to grab their rightful share? Of course, they didn’t.
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
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The experiment, in which half of Osmeña Blvd., Escario St., Gen. Maxilom Ave. and Gorordo Ave. were closed to vehicles from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., should be the last of such experiments.
Road Revolution tried these twice in 2011 with the same results - horrendous traffic, copious swearing and only a few hundred people showing up to claim their road share for walking, cycling or skating.
Isn’t it time to stop making people as guinea pigs in mad experiments?
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Let’s listen to the personal experience last Sunday of Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella:
“I have noticed that there were road blocks and bottlenecks that were unnecessarily created as a result of the experiment. I can concur that there were really congestions in areas which have not been experiencing traffic jams, especially on a Sunday, like in Escario Street and Gorordo Avenue.”
Most commuters and motorists considered the experiment successful. Green Loop road-sharing succeeded in making them see red.
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How did Green Loop organizers got the idea that people who don’t have vehicles need a share of the road where they can walk?
Would they really walk? They instead use public transportation like buses, jeepneys, taxis, tartanillas and even trisikads.
Ask them, “Did you walk or did you ride?” I guess one will answer, as the jokes goes, “Of course, did you ride.”