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.
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.
