Members of the Sugbo Bikers (File Pohoto)
IN lobbying for bike lanes in Cebu City, biking groups offered to paint the bike lanes themselves should the proposed ordinance authorizing its creation gets approved.
Biking groups that are part of the Tindak Sugbo biking community met with Councilor Nida Cabrera to discuss matters leading to the June 25 public hearing on her proposal to designate bike lanes in city streets.
“We want the minds of the City Council to be open to that solution which is very simple and doable. We are even willing to paint the roads ourselves. We can call out all the bikers and paint the roads overnight,” said 80-year-old Edna Lee. co-founder of Psychology Volunteers on Bikes.
Lee said biking helps mitigate climate change. The United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change earlier issued a guide on how to offset the effects of climate change.
Among the UN panel’s scientific recommendations was for governments to reduce reliance on individual motor transport and prioritize walking, cycling and public transport.
“Only two percent of people have cars. We should not deprive people from buying a bike, worth only a few thousands compared to cars which cost millions, and using their bikes in roads which are paid for by the people’s taxes,” said Psychology Volunteers on Bikes co-founder Mishka Watin.
Part of Cabrera’s proposed ordinance is to establish shared bike lanes in roads in the city.
The location of the bike lanes will be determined by the Tindak Sugbo Board that is created by the ordinance.
The systematic education and awareness campaign conducted by the bike groups only started last year, Lee added.
The public transport sector were also invited to the hearing to air their concerns on the proposed ordinance.
After the public hearing, the proposed ordinance will go through final deliberation by the City Council.
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