Cebu City gov’t urged to put up more facilities for bikers

File Photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer

CEBU CITY — Bike enthusiasts in this city appealed to the city government to put up adequate facilities to help convince more Cebuanos to use bikes as a mode of transportation.

Sherwin Roy Ngujo, founder of Cebu Bike Commuters, said the city’s initiatives to put up bike-related infrastructure such as dedicated lanes and bike racks is a step towards the right direction.

More Cebuanos, he said, have shifted to biking as a mode of transportation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He expressed the hope that the city government, through the Sugbo Bike Lanes Board (SBLB), would put the needed infrastructure to convince more people to shift to biking.

Ngujo said not all commuters are shifting to biking because of some factors, including sanitary reasons for those biking to work.

“Many commuters said when they arrive at their workplaces using their bikes, they sweat a lot,” he said.

READ: Bikers asked to give way to jeepneys in stops during peak hours in Cebu …

Ngujo said the city could put up lounges where bikers could freshen up after traveling to work.

The city, he said, could also provide security for bikers who leave their bikes at designated bike racks.

While it may take some time for these projects to be realized, Ngujo said he was happy that the city government was thinking of the cycling public through the SBLB.

READ: Cebu City dad wants SBLB to study putting up bike lanes in upland …

SBLB executive director Bernard Maraasin said he was happy that Ngujo and his group had been closely coordinating with them in creating projects and policies that could benefit bikers in the city.

Maraasin said the city’s biking policies were focused on providing regulation and protection to bikers, especially those biking to work, and to encourage others to bike.

Ngujo said his group was created during the pandemic to provide a platform for bike commuters.

He created the “Cebu Bike Commuters” group page on Facebook for bike commuters to not just communicate with one another but also provide assistance to bikers.

The online page has around 30,000 followers and 3,000 active members.

Ngujo said another advocacy of the group was to donate bicycles to the poor, especially those who use out-of-shape bikes to go to work.