BACOLOD City District Engineer Abraham Villareal said they need the cooperation of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) and City Legal Enforcement Team to remove the illegal structures and illegally parked vehicles at the city’s bike lane or national highway.
Villareal said it’s part of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) mandate to prohibit the obstruction along the national road.
“We should do this in tandem with the local government because we do not have police power or tow-trucks to remove the obstructions,” he said.
Villareal added he received several complaints that the city’s bike lanes were now being used as a parking area or a sari-sari store.
Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. had earlier urged the BTAO and City Legal Office Enforcement team to strictly enforce the Bike Lane Ordinance.
Gamboa, the main author of City Ordinance No.09-17-808 or the Bacolod City Bike Lane Interlope Ordinance, said it’s the responsibility of BTAO to arrest the erring drivers who parked at the bike lane area while the CLO should also remove or demolish the illegal structures that occupying the bike lane.
“We should use it to its purpose for the safety travel of the bikers, motor vehicles and pedestrian in various areas,” he said.
Villareal said the bike lanes were constructed for the bikers and not for these illegal structures.
He said they can provide a manpower to remove the illegal structures or illegally parked vehicles in various areas.
The Office of the Road Board had earlier approved P62 million for the construction of bike lanes along the national highways of Bacolod which was implemented by the DPWH.