CEBU CITY, Philippines — The implementation of the bike lanes in Cebu City has brought new problems to the roads where they are located with regards to sharing with public utility vehicles.
Councilor James Cuenco, the council’s committee chairperson for transportation, filed a resolution to urge the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to implement a road sharing scheme for the safety of both commuters and bikers on the street.
In the resolution passed in the council, bikers are required to give way to jeepneys loading or unloading passengers at jeepney stops from 6 – 9 a.m. and 4 – 6 pm.
This is because the jeepney stops are shared areas between the bikers and the public utility vehicles (PUVs) and it has been reported to the council that the passengers are being loaded or unloaded on the center of the road because the jeepneys hesitate to use the bike lane.
This has posed danger on commuters as they are in direct conflict with speeding bikers as well.
“Daghang pasahero nga masugatan sa mga bikers, delikado kaayo. Mao na kailangan gyod nga moyield sila labi na og peak hours,” said Cuenco in a phone interview with CDN Digital.
The resolution should be implemented as soon as possible and copies have been furnished to the CCTO and the Sugbo Bike Lanes Board (SBLB) for proper information dessimination.
Cuenco urged the bikers and the PUV drivers to share the road properly because there is limited space even in the highways and main thoroughfares.
He appeals to buses and jeepneys to slow down appropriately when approaching bus and jeepney stops so that the bikers in the bike lanes would also have enough time to give way.
“They also need to be careful, moslow down sad sila dili lang pud kalit nga mohunong nya makalitan pud atong bikers. Iwas disgrasya lang ta,” said the councilor.
With the new bike lanes installed, Cuenco said it is understandable that stakeholders are still adjusting to the new road policies, but he said the city government will ensure the safety of all stakeholders through adjusting policies from time to time. /rcg