Ten mayors from Metro Manila including Muntinlupa’s Ruffy Biazon continued their study tour in the Netherlands, visiting underwater bicycle parking and waste management facilities.
The study tour, sponsored by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), is composed of the mayors of Muntinlupa, Quezon City, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Pasay City, Valenzuela, Mandaluyong and Pateros.
The underwater bicycle parking facility in Amsterdam (Photos from Mayor Ruffy Biazon)
They are in the Netherlands to learn about best practices in waste management, waste to energy, flood control and urban mobility.
On the third day of their visit, they went to the Stationsplein Underwater Bike Parking Facility in the capital city of Amsterdam.
Biazon said they were given a briefing by Amsterdam City government officials Anne Hovingh, policy advisor for bicycle and road safety, and Peter Visser, senior project manager and program manager of Bike Parking.
“They have an office for bicycle policy,“ said Biazon.
The underwater bicycle parking facility was opened in January after four years of construction and it is located under a river that flows in front of the Amsterdam Central Train Station, he said.
Biazon said the facility has a capacity of 6,300 bikes and 700 public utility bicycles that serves as the “last mile transportation” for train commuters.
In the Netherlands, he said, there are more bikes that the population.
Before the biking facility was constructed, the surrounding area of the train station was full of parked bicycles that caused pedestrian congestion.
“Sa atin, nararanasan din natin yan sa mga motorsiklong nakahambalang sa mga bangketa (In our [country], we also experience that due to the motorcycles on sidewalks),” said Biazon.
Amsterdam also has a bike for rent facility using a transportation card like the Philippines’ Beep card that can also be utilized in other public transportation.
The mayor said parking in the biking facility is free for the first 24 hours and after this, a fee will be charged. The Philippine delegation also visited another biking facility with a capacity of 4,000 bikes.
Biazon said he does not see the Muntinlupa population reaching the percentage of people using bikes for everyday transportation just like in the Netherlands.
“Pero definitely, yung sistema na ginagamit dito ay pwede natin gamitin sa mas maliliit na parking (But definitely, we can use the system they use here in small parking areas),” he said.
The mayors also visited a waste management facility that processes trash in Amsterdam.
Biazon said in the Netherlands, the waste-to-energy through the use of incinerators is an established way of solid waste management.
The waste management facility in Amsterdam (Photos from Mayor Ruffy Biazon)
“Hindi tulad sa Pilipinas na pinagbabawal ng Clean Air Act ang incinerators, sa Netherlands ay nakaka-produce sila ng kuryente mula sa basura (Unlike in the Philippines where the Clean Air Act prohibits incinerators, in the Netherlands, they produce electricity from trash),” he said.
At the Amsterdam facility, trash is sorted out for recycling, incineration for energy and disposal of the byproduct in an automated and environment-friendly way, he said.