House Deputy Speaker Recto urged Department of Public Works and Highways to build elevated walkways and bike paths using the P82 B unspent Road Users Tax.
These should be active mobility and be mainstreamed he said.
“It is time to elevate wide pedestrian and bike lanes, whether ground-level or elevated, covered or not, to the league of major construction works,” Recto said.
He added that people would rather choose to walk on safe paths even if it would take more time and energy.
As of now, the Department of Transportation is working on building safe pathways for people biking and walking.
However, Rep. Rector said that these should be projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
He emphasized that the government has a fund but has no will to build active mobility infrastructures that will greatly benefit the ordinary people.
“If we have skyways for cars, why not raised walkways for people? If we’re building a subway, then we can surely build a pedestrian walkway above ground. If we have the money for multi-lane highways over hundreds of kilometers, how much more for a one-lane walkway that is 3 kilometers long?” Rep. Recto ended.
