Motorists, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists, this one is for you as much as it is for pedestrians.

Please, do better. Just because your vehicle fits, doesn’t mean that you should let it sit.

Sidewalks are not parking lots. They were not made for your convenience to park your vehicle whenever and wherever you see it fit. Sidewalks are for pedestrians to use.

Just in case you don’t know, sidewalks serve as conduits for pedestrian movement. They also improve mobility for pedestrians and provide access for all types of pedestrian travel: to and from home, work, parks, schools, shopping areas, and transit stops. dramatically improve pedestrian safety. They provide people with space to travel within the public right-of-way that is separated from roadway vehicles.

Safe, accessible, and well-maintained sidewalks are a fundamental necessity. They have been found to enhance general public safety. Additionally, they are associated with significant reductions in accidents involving motor vehicles and pedestrians.

The National Road Safety Unit Jamaica and the Road Safety Unit, continue to urge the use of sidewalks where they are provided in order to reduce any sort of accident involving pedestrians, motor vehicles, motorbikes, and bicycles. They also encourage pedestrians to walk on the right side of the road facing oncoming traffic, especially in the absence of a sidewalk. It’s as though you lot take this as a free for all. Whether or not sidewalks exist, you find it necessary to park. Where do the ‘walk foot’ crew go when you take up their space? Come on, man.

Drivers, riders, and cyclists take it upon themselves to turn sidewalks in parking lots because it is convenient for them. Beep beep! You are creating a hazardous situation! When pedestrians try to use the sidewalk as they ought to, and are met with your vehicles and bikes neatly parked in their way, a problem ensues. You force those people to step into the street, endangering their lives.

Do better! You already drive carelessly on the road. Hold yourself accountable and leave the limited spaces allotted to pedestrians for them to freely and safely traverse the streets.

Pedestrians in this country already have to contend with poorly built, maintained, trash filled, and often missing sidewalks. Why are you adding to their struggle? Find appropriate parking for your vehicle.

Additionally, where is the police in all of this? How do we help you to hold these people accountable? I find it difficult to understand why we allow people to park their vehicles, motorbikes, and bikes on sidewalks with little to no accountability taking place. Ticket these people, tow their vehicles, sanction them in some kind of manner. If sanctioning takes place, perhaps we need more of it. This kind of allowance breeds continued indiscipline.

As a nation of reactivity are we going to wait until a pedestrian dies, after being struck because they tried to avoid another vehicle on the sidewalk, before something is done about this matter? Should we do the switcheroo and have people walking in the street and vehicles utilisling the sidewalks? Sounds ridiculous, right? That’s because it is.

Do better.

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