By Dhel Nazario
With the mass transport system still unavailable, Taguig City aims to lend bicycles to its city hall employees that will allow them to travel from work to home.
This is part of the city's plans as it started setting up bike lanes in time for World Bicycle Day on Wednesday.
HAPPY WORLD BIKE DAY!In time for the World Bicycle Day today, June 3, 2020, Taguig City has set up bike lanes along...
Posted by I Love Taguig on Tuesday, June 2, 2020
The program will also test the volume of bikers "who can use the routes for essential travels during the general community quarantine for the purpose of establishing an integrated bike path within the city.”
Taguig created an Active Transport Office dedicated to studying the ways Taguig could champion biking to its citizens and become a bike-friendly city.
This was made possible through the “Bike-Friendly Taguig Ordinance” which was signed on June 1. The ordinance also outlines the rights and obligations of cyclists, and the city’s various commitments to ensure that biking is safe and rewarding for citizens.
Bike lending
The Active Transport Office plans to design and implement a bike lending program for City Hall employees.
Taguig City will procure bikes and helmets which may be borrowed by employees to travel between work and home. It will also hone partnerships with the business sector, which is expected to play a central role in increasing bike-friendly spots across the city.
The Active Transport Office will contact malls and other establishments to provide bike racks for employees and customers, even to create programs to incentivize or subsidize those who would like to switch to biking as their mode of transportation.
The city said that even law enforcers will begin using bikes.
"A bike patrol team will also be deputized to move around in bikes to ensure health and safety protocols are maintained in high foot traffic areas across Taguig. They are equipped with first-aid kits and tools for simple bike repairs just in case their assistance is needed," it added.
The City Health Office and barangay health centers will also launch bike-lending programs similar to City Hall employees, which will enhance the mobility of healthcare workers.
The City will post a monthly “Bike-Friendly Map” on I Love Taguig Facebook page that will showcase bike lanes, along with facilities such as showers and bike racks within the city.
“We treat people who embrace active mobility, such as cyclists and pedestrians, as first-class citizens. We are preparing the infrastructure, the incentives, and other measures to make transport in the city safe, inclusive, and sustainable,” said Mayor Lino Cayetano.