Impractical to adopt shared bike lanes – Rama

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the proposed city ordinance on shared bicycle lanes is not possible since Cebu City has narrow roads.

“Kon ang tuyo nimo sa bicycle ang exercise and at the same time environmental, imo sad gyod nang tan-awn ang practical. Samot na gyod ang safety,” said Rama, who has said, though, that he has nothing against bike lanes.

Councilor Ma. Nida Cabrera authored the ordinance that seeks a 1.5 meter-wide shared bike lanes on city streets and to allocate parking areas for the bikers.

Rama further said that bike lanes are not practicable in the city because there are even roads that do not have sidewalks.

“Pero ang kanang word nga bicycle lane, whoever is the promoter, ato sang padak-on atong sidewalk, unya ato mang padak-on atong sidewalk unya maigo man ang private property, pagamyon nato ang dalan, kay mao man na’ ang mahitabo,” Rama explained.

“Mao nang usahay, it’s easier to propose but when you look at the practicability, that’s where you will get into trouble and that is the challenge of the mayor,” he added.

In a public hearing held last Wednesday, the head of the Cebu City District Engineering District Fernando Cruz  stressed that bike lanes should not be located on narrow roads like Salinas Drive as this would cause road-related accidents.

Meanwhile, Mactan Cebu International Airport General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete, who represented the Department of Transportation and Communications Regional Management Council, said that “it is not good, or even worse, for cities to build bike lanes.

Villarete said that while he supports non-motorized transport and the building of bike lanes, he is against “indiscriminate promotion of the same without regard to location, purpose, and safety.”

“I’m sorry but, while I support bike lanes, I prefer protected ones and do not agree to road sharing schemes. Having two-ton metals speeding at 40 kph right beside you is one sure way to keep these bike lanes empty,” he said.  (FREEMAN)