Tuesday, July 22, 2008 With oil price hikes, bikes save fare
FOR seven years, Alfredo Campos, 42, brings his daughter Jamaica to school in the same old bike.
Not wanting to pay the increasing public transportation fare and be affected by escalating oil prices, Alfredo decided to just rely on the two-wheeled mode of transportation.
“For the both of us, it would mean that we would have to spend P32 a day. That’s a lot,” said Alfredo.
Notebooks
Braving the traffic everyday for the past seven years, Jamaica sits on the frame of her father’s bicycle, stays steady in between his arms while balancing a plastic envelope filled with heavy books and notebooks.
It is difficult to keep the balance, but Jamaica has mastered it over the years.
“I’m not scared at all,” she said but admitted that it would hurt quite a bit after the trip.
Alfredo’s legs would hurt as well, but these were just some sacrifices they had to make in order to save money.
Like Alfredo, Richard Mumungan, a security guard, hopes to cut on costs so he opted to use a bicycle.
Significance
For 10 years, he has been riding his bicycle in order to get around town.
“This is one good way of saving money,” Mumungan said.
He said he rarely takes jeepney rides to go around Cebu, and mostly relies on his bicycle.
But while bicycle stores in Metro Manila have reported an increase in their sales with the continuous hike in oil prices and fare rates, bicycle shops on Colon St. said there have been no significant improvements in their sales.
“Business is as usual,” said Michelle Bo of Cebu Kentcycle Inc.
Bo said that people these days would prefer spending money on food and other necessities rather than buying a bicycle.
Motorists
“Food is more important to them right now. They don’t have any extra money to buy a bicycle,” said Bo.
Winston Rañola of RMC agreed that bicycle sales were slow.
“But what I did notice is that more people these days have their old bicycles fixed,” said Rañola.
Rañola said that it is cheaper to have one’s old bicycle fixed instead of getting a new one.
Though riding bicycles may help people save on costs, Rañola said many motorists may also be counting the risks of being on a bicycle.
With Cebu not being generally “bicycle friendly”, riding one along the public highway can be hazardous.
Rañola added that there is no bicycle lane in Cebu so cyclists have resorted to taking the public highways.
He said that it is also important to educate not only cyclists but vehicle drivers on safe bicycle riding.
Apart from the dangers in the streets, cyclists also have to consider the health risks of riding a bicycle.
“Think of all the sweating you do, then going into an air-conditioned office or of all the smoke and dust you expose yourself to,” said Rañola. (EPB)
