The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring all bicyclists and electric scooter enthusiasts in the city to use helmets, wear safety reflectorized vests and install safety reflectors on front and rear lights on their bicycles or scooters and providing penalties for violations.
The ordinance shall be enforced on all bicyclists and electric scooter enthusiasts in the city.
The council stated all bicyclists and electric scooter enthusiasts will be required to wear protective gears composed of a bike helmet and a reflectorized vest whenever they ride their bicycles or electric scooters.
Further, bicyclists and electric scooter enthusiasts will be required to install reflectors at the sides and rear of their bicycles and scooters to increase their visibility, especially at night.
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According to the council, bicyclists and electric scooter enthusiasts are also mandated to install front and rear lights on their bicycles and scooters.
The Council tasked the Baguio City Police Office–Traffic Management Unit (BCPO-TMU) to strictly implement the pertinent provisions of the measure, see to it that it is being complied by the concerned stakeholders and enforce its prescribed penalties.
Bicyclists and electric scooter enthusiasts who refuse to wear protective gears shall be issued a warning with issuance of citation ticket for the first offense; a fine of P150 for the second offense and a fine of P300 for the third offense and P100 for every succeeding offense.
For non-use of reflectors and front and rear lights, violators will be imposed a fine of P200 for the first offense, a fine of P300 for the second offense and a fine of P500 and community service of 240 hours under the direct supervision of the barangay where the offender resides in for the third offense.
The Council stipulated that the City Mayor’s Office, with the assistance of the BCPO-TMU, formulate the implementing rules and regulations governing the implementation of the provisions after 30 days from its approval on third and final reading.
As part of making the city a ‘bike-friendly’ environment, the Council claimed it is vital that safety requirements must be imposed on bikers and electric scooter enthusiasts to protect them while travelling on different rods inside and outside the city.
City legislators recognized that the use of bicycles recently gained popularity among the people in the different parts of the world because of the serious negative effects of the community quarantine on the mass public transportation after the same was suspended following the implementation of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Earlier, the national inter-agency task force for the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases approved the use of bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation during the effectivity of the community quarantine because of the suspension of mass public transportation that allowed the same to thrive in the different parts of the country.
In the city, every Sunday was declared Bicycle Day in the city that allowed bicyclists and electric scooter enthusiasts to use the same for their transportation requirements.
By Dexter A. See
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