Motorbike lane violators face P500 fine

The dry run is over.

Starting Monday, motorcyclists who stray outside the “blue lanes” on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City will be fined P500.

Monday marks the start of the implementation of the exclusive lanes for motorcycle riders on the two major thoroughfares following a week-long dry run.

According to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) assistant general manager for operations Emerson Carlos, motorcyclists will be fined P500 each time they are caught outside the blue lanes.

In a radio interview, Carlos also warned that the fines could go up, depending on additional violations committed by the motorcycle rider such as the lack of proper riding gear like a helmet or going beyond the 60-kilometer per hour speed limit set by the MMDA on the two thoroughfares.

During the dry run last week, Carlos said the MMDA flagged down more than 3,400 motorcyclists who were caught not using the lanes set aside for their use.

Instead of being meted out a fine, they underwent a 15-minute on-the-spot lecture on safe motorcycle driving.

On Commonwealth Avenue, the motorcycle lane is the fourth one from the sidewalk while on Macapagal Avenue, it is the outermost lane.

Blue lines are painted on the lanes to set these apart from the others. There are also overhead signs with the word “Motorsiklo” (motorcycle) written on them to make it easier for motorcycle riders to identify which lane they should be on.

Meanwhile, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino issued a clarification regarding the agency’s supposed new motorcycle policy.

He said that contrary to earlier reports, the MMDA was not considering banning back riders on motorcycles.

According to him, what the agency was against was having three or more back riders, particularly children, on motorcycles, a practice which could put the lives of everyone on the vehicle at risk.

As for critics of the MMDA’s newest traffic enforcement scheme, Tolentino said that the motorcycle lanes on the two thoroughfares were created through ordinances passed by the Quezon City and Pasay local governments.