BIKING enthusiasts can finally get to bike at the South Road Properties (SRP) without the need to compete with larger vehicles on the road.
This, after two national government agencies inaugurated a 2.4-kilometer bike lane at the SRP on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar and officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) inaugurated the dedicated bike lane.
The project is part of the Metro Cebu Bike Lane Network initiated by the national government.
During the launching, DOTr Secretary Art Tugade, in a recorded video message, said the DOTr, DPWH and other government agencies and their partners in the private sector were able to complete a total of 497 kilometers of bike lanes in Metro Manila, Metro Davao and Metro Cebu.
“Indeed, for us at the DOTr, road safety is paramount. Kaya nga ‘ho sa kasagsagan ng pandemya, pinilit at pinipilit po naming tapusin ang mga quality at safe dedicated bike lanes. Dahilan dito, may kumpiyansa ang ating mga siklista at pedestrians, may disiplina ang ating motorista at higit sa lahat may pagbabago mula sa nakagawiang sistema sa daan,” Tugade added.
Former Cebu City councilor Gerardo “Gerry” Carillo, who chairs Cebu City’s Bike Lane Board, told SunStar Cebu that the dedicated bike lane start at the Cebu South Coastal Road in Talisay City and ends at the SRP viaduct.
Now that bikers can already use the dedicated lanes, Carillo reminded bikers to be careful and to avoid doing exhibitions or stunts. He said they should use protective gear, including installing lights especially for those who bike at night.
The bike lane, which has a width of eight meters, is strictly for bikers, joggers and others who are using personal mobility vehicles, Carillo added.
In Cebu City, around 90 kilometers of road have a bike lane but only 20 kilometers have dedicated a bike lane as the rest are shared, Carillo added.
A shared bike lane is not only intended for cyclists.
Carillo said they are targeting to convert around 50 percent of the city’s bike lanes into dedicated lanes.
Carillo reminded motorists to drive with a minimum speed of 20 kilometers per hour when using the shared bike lane. (JJL, PR)