Letter to the Editor — People's right to use the sidewalk

In my opinion as a foreigner I don't believe that the sidewalk vendors should not be allowed to stay on Colon St. as I think they add to the atmosphere of shopping there. I believe they benefit the other businesses located on Colon St. I think most people enjoy doing business with the sidewalk vendors and it also allows them the opportunity to make some kind of living.

But I do believe that the sidewalk vendors on Osmeña Blvd. should be limited to using only the outside part of the sidewalk as it is much too crowded and hard to walk through when they are using both sides of the sidewalk.

But the bigger problem is the wrong use of the sidewalk on Osmeña Blvd. by motorbikes, motorcycles and even automobiles on the upper part of Osmeña Blvd. They need to look in the Webster dictionary under sidewalk as the dictionary says it's a place to walk on not to park cars or motorcycles on. In some cases you actually have to walk on the road to get by the cars that are parked on the sidewalk. It also difficult going around the motorcycles. Somebody needs to provide proper parking areas for the these people who misuse the sidewalk to park their cars, motorcycles and motorbikes on.

I believe it would be impossible for a person in a wheelchair to pass through the sidewalk on Osmeña Blvd. And even worse than that, they actually drive their motorbikes and motorcycles down the sidewalk on Osmeña Blvd.

I can just not understand how the local government allows the sidewalk to be used in the wrong way. What happen to the rights of the people to be able to walk down the sidewalk without a difficulty of going around all the vehicles that should not be allowed on the sidewalk?

John Wallace
Sanciangko St.
Cebu City