AFTER several deferments, the Cebu City Council finally approved Wednesday the ordinance establishing shared priority bike lanes or bike-friendly zones in the city.
The ordinance known as “The Tindak Sugbo Lanes Ordinance,” filed by Councilor Nida Cabrera, was passed during the council’s regular session.
Cabrera, chairperson of the council's committee on environment, said there is a need to establish shared priority bike lanes in the city to ensure the safety of bikers.
The council, she said, also hopes to promote cycling as an alternative mode of transportation to reduce pollution, address global warming and slow down climate change.
Global warming
Emission of greenhouse gases by motorized vehicles and industries is a major contributor to global warming and climate change.
Cabrera said the ordinance establishes shared priority bike lanes, which can be used by motorized vehicles if there are no cyclists using them.
The ordinance provides that a 1.5 meter-wide space on the rightmost part of certain city roads will be designated as shared priority bike lane.
The streets where these lanes will be established will be determined by the Tindak Sugbo Board. The board will be composed of the mayor, the heads of the committee on environment and committee on laws, the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom), the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
It will also include five members from bikers’ group, a transport organization, a representative of the civil society and a representative of the business sector.
Signs
DEPW, together with the DPWH and Citom, will be responsible in establishing traffic signs for the bike lanes.
Commercial establishments and other structures for public use are also required to provide bike racks or parking facilities for the bikes.
The ordinance also provides for a set of rights and obligations for cyclists. Cyclists have to make appropriate hand signals while making a turn on a road, make audible signal before overtaking, and make sure that their bicycles are equipped with brakes, lights and reflector.
Cyclists who are 18 years old and below must wear helmets.
The ordinance also requires bicycle owners to register their bikes and obtain biker’s permit. Registered bicycles should have license plates.
The bike license and registration will be issued by the City Government after paying a corresponding fee to the City Treasurer's Office. The amount will still have to be determined by the Tindak Sugbo Board.
Prohibition
The ordinance prohibits motorized vehicles or anyone from obstructing the bike lanes and staying closer than three feet from cyclists on the bike lanes.
Cyclists, on the other hand, are not allowed to drive while intoxicated. They are not allowed to do stunts on the bike lanes or to hold on to other vehicles on the road.
Those who will be found violating the ordinance will have to pay a fine of P500 for the first offense, P1,000 for the second offense, and P1,500 for the third offense.
Establishments that fail to establish bike racks may not be able to renew their business permits until they have complied with the measure.
The council's passage of the bike-lane ordinance yesterday was welcomed by the bikers.
Ryan Noval, head of the Critical Mass Cebu, described the ordinance as a victory. He said bike groups have been lobbying for the establishment of bike lanes for more than three years.
Noval is asking motorists to respect the bike zones. He said cyclists are road users too.
The ordinance will take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of local circulation.