THERE’S nothing to lose but calories.
This, among the many selling points of biking, is the what Pasig government officials are pitching to residents who are not yet convinced about using bicycles as an alternate mode of transport in the city.
“One can save P640 monthly if you use bike for two kilometers in going to work,” said Raquel Naciongayo, head of the city environment and natural resources office (Cenro).
Naciongayo heads the bicycle promotion committee which was convened recently to iron out plans to turn Pasig into a city of bikers.
An ordinance, authored by Councilor Alexee Santiago and approved by the city council and Mayor Bobby Eusebio, encapsulated what the city government had been pushing for in the last few years, Naciongayo said.
Go green
“This has been the major policy of the Pasig Green program which is to promote nonmotorized vehicles for transportation,” the Cenro chief said.
The ordinance laid down penalties for violators and mechanisms and incentives for bikers. It also called for the designation of bike lanes around the city.
Under this measure, bikers must use protective gear every time they hit the road; otherwise, first-time offenders are issued citation tickets, and fined P150 and P300 respectively, for the second and third offense.
Those caught without a rear light while biking at night will be fined from P200 to P500 for the first to third offense.
But convincing people that it is safe to bike in major roads may take some time, she admits.
According to the Proposed Metro Padyakan (Biking) Routes from a study undertaken by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, bike lanes will be marked on six major roads of the city: Justice Hudson Street, Pasig Boulevard, Dr. Sixto Antonio Avenue, Ortigas Avenue, Amang Rodriguez Avenue and Shaw Boulevard.
But other priority roads which may also have bike lanes include Caruncho Avenue, where the city hall is located, and roads leading to Ortigas Center.
Santiago said they have tasked the engineering department and Cenro to submit the overall bike route to the mayor.
Under the ordinance, motorized vehicles, including motor bikes, are not allowed to use the lanes exclusive for bikers. Violators will be fined for obstructing traffic on bike lanes.
Dry runs and bike clinics will be organized to educate the public on road rules, said Santiago.
A civil engineer by profession, Santiago became a biking enthusiast in the process of drafting his proposed ordinance and defending it in council deliberations.
Own backyard
“I had to convince the council that the city could do it. So I started biking from my house to city hall,” he said.
Mayor Eusebio also agreed that local officials had to start in their own backyard before promoting biking in the city.
A bike-to-work loan program was conceptualized and implemented while the biking ordinance was tabled for discussion in the council.
This July, 50 city hall employees received bicycles covered by a city government loan, at zero interest.
Naciongayo said the city government hopes to convince private companies in the city to set up their own bike- to-work loan programs.