ON April 30, bicyclists around Metro Manila cheered when the Department of Transportation (DoTr) announced that as part of its measures to mitigate coronavirus transmission by decongesting buses and trains, it would roll out bike lanes throughout the country. To the uninitiated, it may seem like pure madness; but for those familiar with using a bike to get from place to place, a successful bike lane program will be just what this country needs.
When the lockdown was starting, a group of friends and I helped start manufacturing and providing personal protective equipment to hospitals and food to sitios as our volunteer effort. We had limited trucks and when there was something that the use of a truck was overkill for, I used my bicycle to deliver. Because of the light traffic on the side roads, I could get from place to place rather easily. I set no speed records, but I was getting around Manila a lot faster than in a car.
Continue reading with one of these options:
Ad-free access
P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
- Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
- Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)