Cebu City council approves bike lanes, and I am not exactly happy

While I am an avid cyclist, had my share of pedaling through the streets of Cebu and has been and still is bike commuting to work, surprisingly I do not welcome this news.

After several deferments, the Cebu City Council finally approved Wednesday the ordinance establishing shared priority bike lanes or bike-friendly zones in the city. Known as the "The Tindak Sugbo Lanes Ordinance"

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2014/10/29/bike-lanes-soon-cebu-city-373666

The article states that the city is  hoping to promote cycling as an alternative mode of transportation to reduce pollution, address global warming and slow down climate change. I totally agree, however if you read further, the ordinance calls for registering the bikes and the requirement of a biker's permit. It also states that license plates will be issued. This certainly will not encourage bike commuting.

Actually I am disappointed with this development.

First of all, before this ordinance, there are already a considerable number of citizens who are bike commuters. Mostly from the blue collar sector and an increasing number from the white collar workers including myself. While bike lanes is certainly a huge welcome for us, requiring us permits is certainly not.

The idea of bike lanes should be to encourage more to use bikes as an alternative transport. This is not for "bikers" alone but for the citizens in general. Car owners are now encouraged to leave their cars at home at least once in a week to use bicycles in going to work or to schools. Those who commute by public transport will now also start to use bicycles as a cheaper and greener alternative.

But this ordinance apparently will not encourage these. Why? Here are a few:

>> First of all, as mentioned there are already a considerable number of bike commuters. We do not have bikers permit and certainly the bicycles are not registered. And there are no problems with the current setup. I say status quo.

>> Issuing license plates will potentially damage the bicycles. As some of those who commute by bike to work are using their high end mountain bikes and carbon fiber road bikes. Certainly putting license plates or stamping registration numbers on the bicycle will potentially damage it. This alone is a very big factor of discouraging bike commuting.

>> The requirement of a bikers permit. Seriously, what is this for? Or is the council is just really thinking of how to make more money, and said "hey why don't we require bikers permit and registration of bicycles?" I really do not see any purpose to this rather than to milk some money. And where will the money go?

If you say that we need to pay for the bike lanes and the use of roads, then WTF?! Whether we bike or not, drive or not, commute via public transport or not, the roads are basic need for the city. They are not built for the motorists alone, they are built for the citizens for public use. We all are paying for it through our taxes, and better roads are expected. Bike lanes are expected whether some bike group asked for it or not. It is basic and should have been provided a long time ago.

Pedestrians have rights to use the sidewalk too. So do they need "walkers permit"? 

I think the city should look into those squatting along the sidewalks. Establishments and vendors who occupy the sidewalks and the electrical and telephone poles as well. Pedestrians are walking on the roads instead of the sidewalk because of these "squatters", effectively causing traffic congestion. And bike lanes being on the right most side of the road, wherein sidewalks are effectively useless, certainly it will not encourage bike commuting. 

This ordinance is premature. This should have not been done in haste and more thought should had been given to it.

But I seriously hope that these issues will be addressed and that indeed the city will encourage and embrace bike commuting. Again forgo the bikers permit and license plates. Status quo on this and just add the bike lanes. I do support bike lanes but not on the idea of bikers permit and registration. We need to encourage bike commuting, not discourage it.

Bike Commuting to Work

I have been asked and even joked a lot by my office mates that the reason I bike to office is so that to get thin and fit.

Truth of the matter is, I don't have enough money to keep up with my rising fuel costs. LOL! Not only are fuel prices high, I am conscious of my carbon footprint. Makes sense? 

Yeah, the real reason I bike to work is: I just love cycling. I love to bike and I enjoy so much being on a bicycle. 

Getting fit and saving money while biking to work is just a plus. It is not even the real intention, well trying to save some money, yes? 

What's interesting with bike commuting is, you get to see the city on a different perspective. You can cruise down the busy street without getting stuck in heavy traffic. Of course you have to catch in your face all the fumes and dust and other weird particles coming in your way.

People nowadays, complain on a lot of things regarding daily commute. There's heavy traffic, smelly fumes and pollution at the top of it. Then there's the flooded streets when it rains and the undisciplined motorists.  If you are one of those who commutes by public transport, then you'll likely experience heavy traffic, undisciplined driving, not to mention inhaling all those foul air. If you drive a car, then you'll probably got stuck in heavy traffic and complained about the rude public drivers, creating more chaos on the unruly roads. Either way, you are contributing more to the foul air, heavy congestion and flooding. We all contribute to it one way or another.

Global warming. 

1. You drive your own car, you burn fuel and release more toxins in the air, regardless if your driving a gasoline engine or diesel engine. You are burning fuel and releasing carbon monoxide.

2. The more yuppies buying their own car, the more and more toxins released to the atmosphere.

3. Public transport are mostly unmaintained vehicles that are heavy smoke belching machines. The more you ride in them the more you contribute to global warming, accessory to the crime.

4. Motorcycles. More and more are plying the roads, not only are they a menace (total disregard for road courtesy and traffic rules) on the streets, the more people buy them, the more toxins released in the air as more people burn their own fuel.  You think by buying a motorcycle and moped you save yourself from traffic woes? Well, you just made the streets more unruly and congested.

5. Citizens becoming more hot headed and hot tempered due to above - this is real global warming.

And so, I try to contribute to society by trying not to contribute to any of the traffic woes.

Bike commuting:

1. No fuel cost or daily fare.

2. No smoke emission - pure green pedal power.

3. Burns calories, free aerobic exercise.

4. Less road congestion. Compare driving a car as to pedaling your way to work.

5. Zero Carbon Footprint.

And while most yuppies fancy their shiny new cars, I fancy my two wheels. Consider this: public transport and private vehicles are increasing in numbers on the road. It only means more engines are burning fuel and releasing carbon monoxide. Those who once travel by public transport are now driving their own cars. The prize of urbanization, the prize of better living standards. As more yuppies buy their own cars, public transport continue to ply the streets daily. We have increased our carbon footprint and increased road congestion effectively.

And yet we complain a lot about the increasing traffic congestion, and the seemingly becoming normal flooding every time it pours from the heavens.

Had there been lesser cars on the road, it would have been a lighter traffic, yes? No. Increasingly a lot of new car owners does not know basic traffic rules and road courtesy. Not to mention a lot of the public utility drivers are rude and lacks courtesy. As a result, still heavy traffic. Traffic flow is not fluid.

So going back to my point, bicycle commuting is the way of the future. It is the key for a more sustainable and livable city. One less car is always better. One less car on the road means more road space and lesser carbon footprint. The lesser internal combustion engines on the road, the lesser berating drivers. Imagine if all car owners would together leave their cars at home, and they would commute to work via public transport and by bicycle. Let us just assume that for one day this will happen. Free flowing traffic, no congestion and lesser air pollution. While I mentioned that public transports are heavy smoke belching machines, still if those who drive to work would leave their cars, overall it would still decrease air pollutants.

Bike commuting, the way to go.

Usual office holiday Ado

Public holiday and I am in the office.
No, I am not workaholic.
Do not have pending jobs to do.
No conference calls, no meetings with the big bosses.
No teleconference with the stakeholders
Nothing important to do.
It is also a public holiday in China, in Singapore, in Bangladesh, in Malaysia and in most Asian countries. It is a public holiday in Australia.
The AP countries we are supporting are on holiday, but I am in the office.
So why am I here? To support the business.
What business? I really do not know.
Ado about nothing. Just plain nothing.

Wished I am on the saddle of my mountain bike right now, over muddy trails or on a hilly climb.
But I am here at office, doing nothing.