The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have agreed to begin the establishment of bike lanes along EDSA on June 13.
In a release, the DOTr said that Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and MMDA chairman Danny Lim decided to fast-track the establishment of the protected bike lanes as more people are now relying on bicycles due to the limited public transportation.
“Our goal is to move people while making sure of their safety,” Tugade said.
Meanwhile, the MMDA has expressed its support for the construction of bike lanes at the soonest possible time. Lim said that the planned bike lane would provide at least 1.5 meters of space for bikers and will be done in two phases: interim and long term.
The MMDA held a trial run of a bike lane along EDSA in observance of World Bicycle Day on June 3.
The decision to put up bike lanes came after a group of cyclists placed makeshift cones along Commonwealth Avenue in a bid to send a message to the government regarding the importance of bikers’ safety.
Rodne Galicha, one of the volunteers for the group, said that they will continue with the installation of makeshift cones to highlight the safety of bicycle users.
“We will not stop until authorities realize that this is actually their job – to assure bikers that they are safe on the streets. We are actually just doing their jobs,” Galicha said.
