ENFORCERS on bicycles have been deployed to check for erring users of Mandaue City’s bicycle lanes, sending a signal to some 26,000 bikers traversing the city to follow rules.
This, as the local government also speeds up the completion of the city’s over 100-kilometer bike lane network.
Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) head Edwin Jumao-as told reporters Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023 that they would deploy seven bicycle enforcers to roam the city’s bicycle lanes within A. Del Rosario St., S.B. Cabahug St., A.C. Cortes Ave. and Mantawi Drive from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
On Friday, the enforcers were already seen doing their rounds.
Jumao-as said the enforcers would check if the bikers observed proper attire, such as wearing a cycling helmet with light, riding knee and elbow guard, among others, to ensure safety.
But they are not limited to catching delinquent cyclists only. They can also apprehend motorists who would trespass on the bike lanes, said Jumao-as.
Jumao-as said arrested bikers would not pay violation fees for now. However, the Team will discuss imposing some by next year.
Based on the Team’s data, most bikers pass the city’s bike lanes heading to work.
Jumao-as said they are already at 70 percent in gathering data for their bike count to track the lanes’ peak traffic times and the area where traffic is more congested to obtain more personnel and apply interventions to regulate it.
“So far, we have observed that Mantawi Drive has more leisure bikers on Sundays, but we still need to study our bike count further,” said Jumao-as.
The bike lane network project is a joint endeavor of Talisay, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities.
In Mandaue, architect Marlo Ocleasa, head of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), said they plan to complete the city’s 122.62-kilometer bike lane network by 2024 due to the rise in bike users this year.
According to CPDO data, the city recorded a more than 100 percent increase in bikers traversing Mandaue from 12,120 bikers in 2021 to 26,019 bikers in 2022.
Ocleasa said as of May, about 20 percent, or 21.63 kilometers, of the bike lane had been completed.
These lanes include those on M.C. Briones St. (Maguikay flyover-San Miguel); A.C. Cortes Ave.; S.B. Cabahug St. (City Health-City Hall) and (Jollibee Centro-Corner A.C. Cortes); A.S. Fortuna Extension (North Atrium-Corner A. del Rosario); A. del Rosario St. (Caltex-Corner A.S. Fortuna Extension) and (Corner A.S. Fortuna Extension-360 Pharmacy); Ouano Avenue; W.O. Seno St; Mantawi Int. Drive; E.O. Perez St.; M. Logarta St., and C.D Seno St. Ocleasa said among the challenges that have hindered the project’s completion is the continuous repair of some damaged lanes hit by Supertyphoon Odette (Rai) in 2021.