Bikers push clean rides on Earth Day

Cebu bikers shared the road with “polluting vehicles” in a 20-kilometer “Earth Day, Earth Ride” around town yesterday.

“Earth Day, Earth Ride” was participated by 15 bicycle clubs organized by Cebu Extreme Bikers Union, Bike and Talk Friendship Club, Movement for Liveable Cebu, Critical Mass Cebu and 350.org.

At exactly 8 a.m. Cebuano biking enthusiasts left Plaza Independencia in folding bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, trisikad, bikes with hip-hop-music-loud speakers and what-have-they.

The bike ride passed by SM City Cebu before proceeding to barangay Mabolo to the Asiatown IT Park in Lahug.

They were stopped by security officers for traffic obstruction in the city’s business process outsourcing district.

An IT park security officer  told Cebu Daily News that the bikers have not coordinated with management of the IT park.

The bikers decided to take took a quick rest before taking Salinas Drive and made a left turn to Gorordo Avenue, passing JY Square Mall.

Escario street motorists “shared” the road with the bikers as the latter headed towards Cebu Provincial Capitol where bike club leaders led the raising of bike lane flag to the chants of  “bike lanes!”

The group is pushing for “bike lanes, bike rights, and bike racks.”

Vince Cinches, country coordinator of the international climate change advocacy group 350.org said they are calling for “concrete solutions against pollution” after the Cebu Provincial Board issued a resolution encouraging towns and component cities to consider having motorcycle and bicycle lanes.

Joseph Espino of the Movement for Liveable Cebu shared his “difficult” experience on biking with “polluting vehicles.” Espino said bike lanes are also important for the road safety of the bikers.

He shared his experience meeting a road accident when a public utility jeepney insisted on taking the lane that he was supposed to take.

Despite this experience, Espino is not giving up on his bike. “It is healthy and clean, but government needs to address urgently road safety concerns of bikers,” he said.

Pollution from mobile sources take up as much as 80 percent of Cebu’s air pollution, Cinches said.

Critical Mass Cebu through Ryan Noval cited difficulties that bikers face in Cebu like potholes in the main roads.

He also urged motorists and cyclists to respect each other in using the roads.

Cinches said that their activity did not cause traffic trouble.

“One thousand bikers didn’t cause traffic compared to the same number of vehicles nga grabe maka-traffic, (One thousand bikers didn’t cause traffic compared to the same number of vehicles that cause so much traffic.) Cinches said. /Jessa Chrisna Marie J. Agua, Correspondent