DOTr, SM Cares unveil biker’s manual to raise cycling safety awareness

MANILA: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has partnered with SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, to publish the "DOTr-SM Biker’s Manual" that will serve as a road safety guide to cyclists.

The passport-size manual, which comes in English and Filipino versions, will be given away to bikers for free. The manual discusses road safety tips conforming the DOTr guidelines and road etiquette for bike riders, pedestrians, and motorists.

Aside from the biker’s manual, SM has also produced informational videos about cycling safety tips. The videos tackle the fundamentals of cycling, bike safety rules, biker signals, and guidelines for bike lane use.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, many Filipinos shifted to cycling as their mode of transportation. In November 2020, the Social Weather Station (SWS) conducted a survey which revealed that 87% of Filipinos believe that roads would be better if public transportation, bicycles, and pedestrians are prioritized over private vehicles.

The DOTr has been working with different government agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and local government units (LGUs) to promote active transportation. In the virtual launch of the DOTr-SM Biker’s Manual, DOH Health Program Officer Dasha Uy explained that active transportation, such as walking and cycling, provides various health benefits—allowing the public to maintain physical distancing while traveling, and prevents common lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

To further promote cycling as a form of daily transport, the DOTr provided a P1.3-billion budget for Active Transport, P1.1 billion of which was allocated for the construction of bike lanes in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao. The agency has already completed a total of 296-km bike lanes around these areas, and they target to finish a total of 535 km before the year ends.

The DOTr is coordinating with LGUs to properly monitor the bike lanes and assure that they are not being used as parking spaces and motorcycle lanes.

The DOTr and the MMDA are also working on the implementation of the bike sharing system, including the establishment of 34 bike sharing stations around Metro Manila.

SM Supermalls has also started initiatives to support the bike-riding public. The company has provided a 1.6 km of shared and dedicated bike lanes at SM Seaside Cebu, a 2.1-hectare bike trail at  SM Center Pulilan, and bike lanes and free vehicle parking for customers with bikes at SM City Marikina. Currently, there are over 500 bike racks and 80 repair stations at SM Supermalls nationwide.

Since motorists are often involved in fatal crashes with cyclists, the DOTr issued the Department Order 2020-014 that guides the motor vehicles on how to properly interact with cyclists on the road. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) are planning to incorporate the department order in their policy regulations and driver licensing and education activities. According to SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, a video addressed to motorists will also be launched soon.

The production of the DOTr-SM Biker’s Manual was also made possible with the help of the MMDA, several European Embassies whose countries are known to be bicycle-friendly, and cycling advocacy groups, such as the Move as One Coalition, Life Cycles PH, and MNL Moves.

The DOTr-SM Biker’s Manual and bike safety videos can be downloaded here.

Photo from SM Supermalls, DOTr

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