Thursday, August 21, 2008 Motorists push for motorcycle lanes
WHILE the city police continue the crackdown against motorcycle riders not wearing helmets, some motorists also pushed for exclusive lanes to be used.
The lanes specifically for motorcycles could help avert incidents and loss of lives or limbs aside from wearing crash helmets, a motorcycle owner told Sun.Star Bacolod.
Around 53 fatalities from 1,203 motorcycle accidents that occurred in Bacolod in the last 18 months ending June 2008 were recorded.
This is broken down to 809 motorcycle accidents in 2007 with 37 deaths and 394 accidents with 16 fatalities in the first six months of this year.
But a motorcycle rider opined that "surely, not all of these incidents were due to the non-wearing of helmets of drivers. Meron minsan, nasa side sweep ng mga jeep or taxi kasi walang sariling lane for motorcycles."
Pending since August 2007 before the House committee on transportation is House Bill 1854 principally authored by Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, which seeks to provide motorcycle lanes on all main roads and highways throughout the country.
Over at the Senate, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada also filed Senate Bill 2076, known as the “Motorcycle Lane Act of 2008,” which requires the construction of one-half-meter lanes on both sides of the road for exclusive use of motorcycles.
As per the bill, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is mandated to construct the lanes in coordination with local government units (LGUs) concerned.
An earlier press release said that if passed into a law, motorcycle drivers who do not use the lanes will be penalized by a maximum of six years imprisonment or fined not less than P5,000 but not more than P20,000, or both at the discretion of the court.
The DPWH and concerned LGU which violate any provision of this Act shall also be fined not less than P10,000 but not more than P20,000 at the discretion of the court.
"The penalty does not prohibit any motorcycle driver who met an accident due to the absence of the lane from filing damage claims against the DPWH and the local government units that violated this Act," the statement added.
Estrada's bill seeks a P10-million appropriation in the construction of the lanes, citing an increase in the number of accidents involving motorcycles.
"In these times of rising oil prices and worsening traffic problems, many Filipinos have resorted to motorcycles as their primary means of transport. These vehicles prove to be easy to maneuver during heavy traffic and are fuel-efficient," it said.
Despite these benefits, motorcycles are considered high-risk vehicles, both with respect to drivers and other motorists. To address the growing number of motorcycles traversing major roads and highways and to ensure the protection of all motorists, the provision of motorcycle lanes in all major roads and highways throughout the country is vital. (CGC)
