Amid ongoing road expansions, a Quezon City official expressed concern on Thursday on the likely rise in pedestrian casualties as more speeding vehicles race along the wider roadways.

Acknowledging the value of a vastly improved infrastructure for economic progress, Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista appealed to the motorists to exercise prudence to prevent road mishaps that have claimed lives and destroyed properties.

“As the city government continues to roll out road improvement projects, pedestrian crossings will eventually be marked out and manned by traffic enforcers to assist the public. But until then I am appealing to drivers of private and public utility vehicles to observe reasonable speed limits and to yield to people on foot who are trying to negotiate designated road crossings.

Pedestrians are also taxpayers with equal rights to all our roads,’’ Bautista said.

Bautista noted that footbridges on major roads are mostly too steep and slippery when wet making it very difficult for children, elderly and people with heavy loads or luggage to negotiate.

Since it is necessary for some to cross the busy streets at least twice daily, pedestrians mostly merchants from market places risk their lives by crossing the widened roads instead, unmindful of the speeding vehicles.

“Climbing a steep footbridge might not be such a big deal if you have to do it only once or twice a week, but an overwhelming majority of our pedestrians have to do so at least twice daily back and forth,’’ Bautista noted.

Bautista stressed that the government should strike a balance of maintaining the smooth flow of traffic on major thoroughfares while ensuring the safety of the pedestrians and making crossing the streets less rigorous.

In areas where there are no pedestrian overpasses or underpasses, Bautista cautioned the public to use the pedestrian lanes and to read the informative and traffic signs for their safety.

On frequently travelled roads like Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has put up the sign “Nakakamatay, Bawal Tumawid’’ to inform the public of the impending danger of crossing the road section.

However, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said despite the presence of pedestrian overpasses and informative signs stubborn pedestrians continue to defy traffic rules, often resulting into road accidents.