DOTr eyes completion of bike lane network

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation targets to double by yearend the length of existing bicycle lanes to further beef up the DOTr’s active transport program.

“We have so far finished 296 kilometers of bike lanes. We hope that by the end of the year we would have completed 535 kilometers of bike lanes in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said at a virtual briefing yesterday.

DOTr Assistant Secretary for road transport and infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor said under the Bayanihan 2, the agency was given P1.3 billion for its transport program.

Of the amount, P1.1 billion was allocated for the establishment of bike lanes.

For Metro Manila, P800 million was allotted for the construction of 340 kilometers of bike lanes.

An allocation of P150 million each for Metro Cebu and Metro Davao will be used to develop 140 kilometers and 60 kilometers of bike lanes, respectively.

Together with SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, the DOTr launched yesterday the pioneer edition of the DOTr-SM transport manual.

The transport manual for bicycles is published to promote road safety, courtesy and etiquette among bikers, pedestrians and motorists.

It is printed in English and Filipino and will be distributed for free in all SM malls nationwide.