The City’s Sugbo Bike Lanes Board (SBLB) will also press charges against 50 violators for not settling their infractions within the given period.
The SBLB is now preparing the documents for the filing of cases against drivers of private and public vehicles who were apprehended for parking or stopping inside bike lanes and refusing to pay the fines as stated in City Ordinance 2408 or the Sugbo Bike Lanes Ordinance.
SBLB executive director Bernard Maraasin told SunStar Cebu Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, that the charges will be filed with the court on Friday, Jan. 27, or Monday, Jan. 30.
Individuals apprehended for obstructing bike lanes are given one week to pay P500 for the first offense and P1,000 for the second offense, said Maraasin.
Failure to settle within the period given will prompt the SBLB to file a letter of complaint before the court. Committing the violation for the third time will also require the violator to pay P1,500 and be imprisoned for at least six months.
Marasin said apprehended individuals should not belittle their violations since one individual has already been imprisoned for refusing to settle his violation.
A public utility vehicle driver was apprehended in August 2022 but did not settle the violation until a case was filed against him. The driver did not attend any hearings, so the court issued an arrest warrant.
Marasin said the driver was arrested in December 2022 and was released on Jan. 5, 2023, after posting bail.
Government-owned vehicles were also not exempted from the SBLB’s operations as 20 red plate vehicles were also caught obstructing bike lanes on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
As of Thursday, a total of five drivers of government-owned vehicles had already settled their fines.
Although clamping equipment is available, Marasin said they cannot conduct this kind of operation since their office does not have any service vehicle to use and their personnel just use bicycles or motorcycles.
Marasin further said since there are only a few personnel under the SBLB, they cannot cover the entire road network of Cebu City so they just conduct “strike” operations on major roads.
The main goal of their office is to provide safe and accessible roads for people who choose to use bicycles as their main transportation, he added.