Ped Xing: Understanding the Use of Pedestrian Lanes for Public Safety

Abstract

Many signs have been put up around the city to remind pedestrians to use the proper pedestrian crossing, such as the cryptic "Ped Xing" and the morbid "Bawal tumawid dito, nakamamatay.”Indeed, pedestrian crossings are vital for the safety of commuters, as well as drivers who are expected to slow down upon approaching one. However, accidents and even deaths still continue to happen amidst the reminders, and commuters continue to find difficulty in crossing the streets safely. Thus, a qualitative research study would be helpful to identify the views and opinions of the people concerned. The study features qualitative research via in-depth interviews. Researchers interviewed multiple participants for this study to learn what they think about the pedestrian lane. The study included interviews with 15 informants: 4 commuters who reside in Quezon City, 4 drivers (2 public utility vehicle drivers and 2 private vehicle drivers), 3 MMDA traffic enforcers (with duty at the EDSA Congressional area) and 4 barangay officials (Brgy. Laging Handa and Brgy. VASRA). The interviews were conducted from September 20 to 22, 2019 at Tomas Morato and EDSA corner Congressional areas. The major findings the researchers found the commuters, MMDA officer, barangay officials, public utility drivers, the researchers found that the pedestrian crossing very useful for them and that they could see the worth of the pedestrian crossing safety-wise and to maintain traffic laws, but there are participants who said that there is need for improvement, like there are areas in our city that have no or misplaced pedestrian crossings and malfunctioning traffic lights which could put lives at risk. Findings indicate that the pedestrian crossing is very helpful for commuters to keep them safe and secure while using the streets. Commuters rely on it to safely travel from one point to the other. Researchers would like to recommend that the DPWH install more signs in appropriate places so that all drivers and pedestrians can notice the presence of pedestrian crossing. Furthermore, it is recommended that DPWH fix the malfunctioning lights so as to lower the risk of accidents for drivers and commuters.