Revenues don’t seem to be used for improvements The parks in Eid [Archives:2003/06/Culture]

BY ISMAIL AL-GHABRI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
On occasions and official holidays, people usually like to seize these precious opportunities and go outdoors and parks to get refreshed and get rid of life’s monotony.
People usually seek out parks for the exciting playthings and sports that children adore in them.
Here in Sana’a, with population of about one million, we find that these parks lack facilities parks are supposed to have.
Also, these parks are all dirt, lacking the greenness that is supposed to make one feel the difference between public places and those parks.
In spite of the high income that owners of the parks get, we find that they pay nothing to take care of them. Instead we see their ignorance for providing the simplest services. There are no sunshades to sit under and there is too much noise coming from the microphones of the games. The building waste materials also fill the parks atmosphere.
So people don’t want to waste their time in such uncomfortable places.
One who visits al-Sabeen Park gets surprised at the crowds, especially at children’s ticket-windows.
Al-Sabeen Park is considered one of the biggest public parks in Sana’a. It’s where the Unknown Soldier tomb is situated, and is home as the anniversary Parade. Moreover, the Presidential Palace is not too far. However, the capital secretarial along with investors does not pay any attention to it.
It is remarkable that there is no difference between the ticket prices for grownups and children. That really is a burden upon the limited-income families. Thus now it becomes only for the white-collar people while the majority is deprived.
We are afraid that in the privatization time, we cannot protect the public’s interests. They should be respected and protected, but rather investors are putting enormous revenues in a few pockets.
We are afraid that in one day all the public parks will be privatized, and it will be mere business.
Is holding a number of the parklands and neglecting an introduction to seize this opportunity? We hope not.


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