AROUND a week ago, a video of bikers made rounds on social media. The clip showed a group of what looked like teenagers hunched on small bikes while going downhill really fast along Diversion Road in Davao City. They were not wearing helmets and were zooming past large vehicles like trucks.
What seems to them as a fun and exciting activity is actually endangering them and the motorists around them. Going fast while zooming past large vehicles without a helmet on is a recipe for a very bad accident.
Teenagers on small bikes and driving fast along the streets of Davao City is nothing new. They have been around for a year or so. They have become an annoyance to commuters and motorists for their disregard for safety.
Therefore, it is good to know that the Davao City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) is doing something about it.
“Makadistorbo gyud. Delikado kaayo sa mga motorista nga kung ang motorista na hinuon magkaproblema inkaso madisgrasya (They are a menace because they can be the cause of accidents or put other motorists in danger),” CTTMO head Dionisio Abude said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
In a recent operation, they confiscated the mini-bikes and apprehended its bikers. Abude said they did not release the minors until CTTMO met with the parents, who came for their children, and talked about the risks of what they were doing.
However, confiscation and talking with the parents may not be enough to prevent teens from using these bikes recklessly along Diversion Road or any other roads in the city. There needs to be a policy against this.
At present, the city has the Amended Bike Lane Ordinance, which was recently passed by the 19th Davao City Council in 2021. The law mandates bike owners to register their bikes. Requirements that bikers should prepare before registering their bikes include (1) helmet or protective headgear, (2) reflectors or other warning lights, (3) bell or horn, and (4) working brakes.
But at present, the law has not yet been fully implemented. Hence, CTTMO may not do much other than confiscating and reprimanding the bikers and their parents.
It would be ideal for the Amended Bike Lane Ordinance to be fully implemented now to ensure that the welfare of the bikers and those around them are protected. Hopefully, the city will be able to finalize the law's implementation as soon as possible.