Mandaue to enforce bike law starting next week

CEBU, Philippines —  Mandaue City’s traffic office will start implementing the Comprehensive Bicycle Ordinance next week.

“The Traffic Management Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) will start implementing the Mandaue City Ordinance No. 15-2020-1582 or The Comprehensive Bicycle Ordinance of 2020 a week from now,” TEAM announced yesterday in a Facebook post.

TEAM said sanctions and penalties will be imposed on offenders.

Article six of the ordinance provides the penalties and sanctions.

Cyclists caught without helmet, reflectorized vest or any bright colored t-shirt, and front and rear reflector or blinker will be a fine of P50.

While those caught counter-flowing, backriding, overloading and driving outside the designated bike lanes will be slapped with P100 in fine. Also, those without brakes will be fined the same.

“Violators who could not pay the corresponding fine or repeat/habitual offender shall attend an information seminar relative to the operation of the bike system duly conducted by the team,” it said.

The TEAM started yesterday conducting an information drive on the ordinance.

Speed Limits

In a separate development, in order to reduce the number of road crashes and to minimize their severity, the Mandaue City Council approved an Ordinance providing for the speed limits for all kinds of vehicles within the city last Wednesday, September 8.

 From January to December 2020, the city recorded 2,400 road crashes resulting in 20 fatalities and at least 500 injuries. With increasing motorization, the council said the numbers are expected to rise.

“Hence, the need to regulate speed limits in roads within its territorial jurisdiction,” said Councilor Jimmy Lumapas who principally authored the ordinance.

Section 7 of the said ordinance provides that for open roads (that national-primary roads), the speed limit for cars and motorcycles and similar motor vehicles is 80-kilometer per hour (kph) while for trucks, buses, tricycles and similar motor vehicles is 50kph.

For open roads that are national secondary roads, the speed limit for cars, motorcycles and similar motor vehicles is 70kph, while for trucks, buses, tricycles and similar motor vehicles is 50kph.

 Also, for open roads that are national tertiary roads, the speed limit for cars, motorcycles and similar motor vehicles is 60kph, while for trucks, buses, tricycles and similar motor vehicles is 50kph.

For streets that are provincial roads, the speed limit for cars, motorcycles and similar motor vehicles is 40kph while for trucks, buses, tricycles and similar motor vehicles is 30kph.

For crowded streets that are barangay roads, on the other hand, the speed limit for cars, motorcycles and similar motor vehicles is 20kph while for trucks, buses, tricycles and similar motor vehicles is 20kph.

The ordinance, however, said that speed limits prescribed under Section 7 shall not apply to drivers or owners in the following circumstances, provided that these exemptions shall not be construed to allow unnecessary fast driving or endanger the life, health, or property of any person.

The exemptions include the driver of a motor vehicle carrying a physician or health worker who is responding to an emergency call; the driver of a hospital ambulance or emergency vehicle on the way to and from the place of a road crash or other emergency; any driver bringing a wounded, injured, or sick person for emergency treatment to a hospital, clinic or any other similar place; the driver of a motor vehicle belonging to the Armed Forces while in use for official purposes in times of riot, insurrection or invasion;

The driver of a motor vehicle, when he/she is in pursuit of a criminal; a law enforcement officer, who is a member of the TEAM or PNP, and who is trying to overtake or apprehend a violator of traffic laws; the driver officially operating a motor vehicle of any fire department, while responding to an emergency;  and the  driver of an official vehicle of the city mayor, vice mayor and city councilors, provided that the official is in the vehicle.

Section 6 further stated that no person shall drive a motor vehicle on any road in the city at a rate of speed greater than that permitted by this ordinance.

It also stated that no person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed that is not appropriate for the width, traffic, grades, crossing, curvatures, visibility, or other condition of the road, as to endanger the safety of road users and their property. — KQD (FREEMAN)