A monument to folly

The wheelchair access ramp built at the Edsa-Philam Busway station in Quezon City using taxpayer money has sparked a revolt among the watchful public.

Just less than a week after it was opened to the public, it had to be temporarily closed down by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) amid much criticism for its egregious design flaws.

The notorious wheelchair access ramp is too steep for persons with disabilities (PWDs) to use, making it inaccessible and dangerous. The public quickly pointed out the obvious, albeit humorously, that the ramp is better suited for skateboarding. That would have brought untold joy to our skateboarders, except that the ramp is located in the middle of Edsa.

Other netizens took potshots at the access ramp for being “inaccessible” by making hilarious memes. A Facebook user tweaked the wheelchair ramp image to make it look like a water slide, with a man paddling down and kids sliding down to a pool below. The TikTok community joined in the fun, with one user saying that it doesn’t take an architect or an engineer to see that the ramp belongs more to a theme park than on a thoroughfare like Edsa.

The access ramp links to the elevator that was put in place to take PWD passengers to and from the busway platform below, where buses are boarded on the center island. The scheme providing buses with a designated lane (Edsa’s innermost lane) has reduced traffic congestion, but commuters must still climb a steep footbridge to reach the busway platform. The setup could be a challenge for PWDs, pregnant women, and the elderly, so elevators are necessary to minimize their inconvenience.

To be fair to both the DOTr and MMDA, they ensured that the Philam footbridge has two elevators and stairs on each side to accommodate both northbound and southbound commuters. But it’s the third elevator at the center, which directly brings commuters to the busway platform, that’s problematic. The ramp has a slope of 13 millimeters instead of the recommended 10 mm, admitted MMDA chair Don Artes.

According to the MMDA, the height and space limitations of Metro Rail Transit Line 3, which has elevated railroad tracks above the busway station, prevented the contractor from building a less steep wheelchair ramp. “It was not a perfect design, especially for those using wheelchairs, but it will still help senior citizens, pregnant women, and other persons with disability instead of taking the stairs,” Artes said.

I admire Artes for being forthright. Responsive to public sentiment, he quickly stemmed the tide of a wave of criticisms—and memes—by temporarily closing down the access ramp, promising to reopen it once “either a wheelchair platform or a vertical lift to move PWD passengers from the footbridge to the busway platform” is installed, as reported by the Inquirer (“MMDA closes wheelchair ramp for improvements,” News, 7/22/24).

But the controversy isn’t just about poor planning or the lack of consultation with the constituents the project is meant to serve. The truth is that people are only considered as an afterthought when planning and executing many other government projects and programs across the country.

For instance, simply trying out the access ramp, which GMA News did with the help of wheelchair user Nelson Belo of Life Haven, easily yielded an inconvenient truth: The ramp is not just inconvenient for PWDs, but also unsafe to maneuver. Climbing the ramp alone is a difficult challenge, and even with assistance, there’s a high chance of careening down the ramp and falling into the highway. According to GMA News’ “State of the Nation,” the ramp has an incline of 14.15 degrees, which is almost triple the standard ramp inclination of only 4.8 degrees required by law.

Common sense. The MMDA also faced criticism in 2018 for constructing an overly steep footbridge over Edsa-Kamuning in Quezon City. The latest controversy shows a lack of imagination on the part of project proponents. To borrow a point made by Senate President Francis Escudero in his inaugural speech at the opening of the Senate session on Monday: “What’s always difficult with common sense is that it’s not often common.”

The Senate chief reminded his colleagues and fellow workers in government that “common sense is what would bring ease to the lives of our countrymen.” Using his three-way test for prioritizing “brave ideas,” we can ask the MMDA’s traffic engineering department these questions: “Will it make the lives of our people easier? Will it help us move faster? Will it make our people’s burdens lighter?”

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For comments: mubac@inquirer.com.ph