Cyclists in Mandaue with no safety gear to be fined

Bicycle riders, who will not have helmets, reflectorized vests and other safety gear, will be apprehended when caught in Mandaue City and penalized. Above are cyclists using the bike lane along SB Cabahug Street along Barangay Ibabao Estancia in June  2020. | CDN Digital file photo

OLANGO ISLAND, Lapu-Lapu City —  Bicyclists using roads in Mandaue City, who will not wear helmets, reflectorized vest among others, will now be penalized.

This after the Comprehensive Bicycle Ordinance authored by Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, Committee on Transportation chairman, has been passed by the city council on the third reading last November 11, 2020 and was signed by Mayor Jonas Cortes on December 7, 2020.

“Pag support sa ato’ng bike enthusiasts, kini sang nagbisikleta kay muadto sa trabaho, ang ila sad safety ang ato gi after ana,” said Lumapas.

(This is to support our bike enthusiasts. This is for riders who ride a bicycle to work and it is their safety we are after.)

Read: For bikers, here are some biking dos and don’ts

Under the ordinance, bicyclists must wear helmets and reflectorized vests or bright-colored shirts while riding their bikes.

The cyclists should also keep two hands on the bicycle’s handlebars unless doing hand signals or when the rider is a person with a disability (PWD).

The ordinance also prohibits cyclists from carrying back riders while on transit, and they are required to carry only minimal loads because bicycles are not designed to carry much cargo.

As the city has already established bike lanes, cyclists are prohibited from counterflowing or maneuvering between vehicles outside their designated lanes.

Violators of this standard for defensive riding such as no helmet, blinker, reflectorized vest, could pay P50. For offenses such as counterflow, overloading, no brakes, riding and not following the bike lanes, the violators will pay P100. 

Those who cannot pay must provide one hour community service to the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team).

If the bicycle is accidentally damaged or the bicycle owner is intoxicated, leading the Team enforcer to believe that his/her physical and mental control is markedly diminished, the bicycle will be confiscated or impounded.

Towing fee and storage fee apply for bicycles to be confiscated or impounded in accordance with the Public Towing and Impounding Ordinance.

The ordinance encourages all public or private establishments to provide five percent to 10 percent of their total parking for the installation of bicycle racks./dbs

Read: IN PHOTOS: Mandaue’s own bike repair station