Skywalk closures at night mulled

Cebu City officials will consider a proposal to close skywalks at night to discourage vagrants from staying there.

As proposed, skywalks near Robinsons Mall along Osmeña Boulevard and the Department of Health will be pilot areas for closure starting 10 p.m. or after the close of business hours in malls and department stores, said Engr.Engr. Dionisio Gualiza, chief of the city government’s Department of Public Services.

“I talked with the mayor about this. He’s okay with the plan since the skywalks have become  dirty because of the vagrants. But I have to ask the approval from the City Council too,” Gualiza said.

In yesterday’s press conference, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama called for more study.

He said  some skywalks or pedestrian overpasses are used for a limited time but that  two mentioned by Gualiza near the Robinson’s mall and the DOH office don’t qualify because pedestrians use them even during  late at night.

Rama said even use of the skywalk near the Cebu City Medical Center should not be restricted because hospital goers use it.

“There are skywalks used for sleeping by  vagrants but there are others like those near Robinsons Mall that are used all the time,” the mayor said.

Rama said he’s waiting for a report from the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom) which he earlier asked to identiy the skywalks in Cebu City that are barely used and were virtual road obstructions.

“We should study this first,” he said.

Photos of idle skywalks or those being ignored by pedestrians who still jaywalk near them often appear in Cebu Daily News photo corner “Siloy is watching.”  /Edison A. delos Angeles, Correspondent