"With bicycles now faster, their riders must wear more protective gear to minimize the injury from a collision or other accident," he said.
Aside from wearing helmets, Fernando called on bike riders to take the bicycle lane instead of using the main road which he said is where accidents occur.
Earlier, the MMDA chief appealed to local government units to build bicycle lanes in their respective localities for the exclusive use of bike riders to minimize the chances of traffic accidents.
Marikina City where Fernando's wife Marides is the mayor has taken the lead in popularizing the use of bike for its residents as a means to decongest traffic and promote a healthy environment.
The Marikina Bikeways System, a brainchild of Chairman Fernando, aims to construct 66 kilometers of bikeways network with bicycle parking facilities combined with a strong will of promoting a culture of cycling.
So far, a total of 45 kilometers of bikeways were already in use.
In 2005, the MMDA launched the Metro Walk and Pedal Way pilot project, an energy conservation measure that would encourage the use of bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation and promote a healthy lifestyle.
The initial bicycle route runs from Katipunan Avenue up to Col. Salgado Street near Kamias Road, passing through Esteban Abada Street, Xavierville Avenue and Anonas Street.
Similar bike lane routes have been established between Roces Avenue going to Timog Avenue and Quezon Memorial Circle, Timog Avenue to Quezon Avenue, West Avenue to Balintawak through Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa), Quezon Memorial Circle to Congressional Avenue, University Avenue to Visayas Avenue, and Maharlika to Katipunan Avenue.
The MMDA's 200-kilometer network of walkways and bike lanes that would be put up along secondary routes would interlink the cities and municipalities of Metro Manila between North Caloocan and Muntinlupa City.
The project will be completed in 2010.
Last year, the Metro Manila Council (MMC), the MMDA's policy-making body, has passed a resolution requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets and paste up the license plate on the helmets for easy identification.
This aims to curb snatching, hold up, and robbery perpetrated by motorcycle-riding men in Metro Manila.
Fernando said the resolution, dubbed "Dual Motorcycle and Helmet License Plate Numbers Policy," provides that the license plate numbers to be paste up on helmets should be on a water-proof sticker and is permanently placed on both sides of the helmet and large enough to be seen by the public. (AH/Sunnex)
