Manila to put up bicycle lanes

MANILA, Philippines – In the aftermath of the Quiapo road rage killing, in which a cyclist was shot dead by an irate motorist, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said he will put up dedicated bicycle lanes along some of the city’s streets.

He said he will discuss this plan with government traffic agencies such as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and groups of cycling enthusiasts.

“There may be areas here where we could install bike lanes. We’ll look into it,” Estrada said.

 “Biking is a healthy exercise and is environment-friendly. Less use of motor vehicles, the lesser air pollution,” Estrada added.

Estrada acknowledged that many streets in Manila are narrow, owing to its Spanish-era design when calesas or horse-drawn carriages were the main mode of transport.

With dedicated lanes, cyclists will have safe corridors for travel and the setup will encourage others to try cycling as an alternative form of urban transport.

Superintendent Olivia Sagaysay, who heads the Manila Police District-Traffic Enforcement Unit, said any measure aimed at decongesting Manila’s streets is welcome.

She said the MPD is proposing a citywide no-parking policy for employees in Manila to discourage them from bringing their cars to work.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has put up two bike lanes in Manila. One runs from Remedios Circle to M. Adriatico street (1.44 kilometers) while the other is along Roxas Boulevard from Rajah Soliman Park to the United States embassy, but these have mostly been unused.