MMDA opens new bike lane on Roxas Blvd

MANILA, Philippines – Good news for bikers: you can now borrow and store bicycles along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) launched its latest bike-lending project on Monday, February 9, allowing the public to borrow and store their bicycles in the shelter setup near the Rajah Sulayman park.

The public can borrow bikes for free and cycle from Rajah Sulayman to Burgos Avenue service road northbound.

“As we all know, regular cycling has many physical and mental health benefits. It is also fun, cheap and good for the environment,” MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said.

The bike-sharing project is part of MMDA’s “bike-kadahan” scheme launched in March 2014. The scheme aims to encourage the public to use bikes as an alternative mode of transportation.

Riders simply need to present a valid ID to borrow the bikes, and return them at designated exit areas.

The MMDA earlier opened bike lanes in Quezon City and Makati City.

The launch of the latest bike lane in Manila also served as the kickoff for “Bayanihan sa Daan” on Sunday, February 15, a road-sharing project aimed in which people will walk alongside bikers and car drivers from the Quirino Grandstand to Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

The road-sharing project aims to highlight the importance of road courtesy.

Last year, a group of citizens filed a petition to divide public roads in half: one for cars, and the other for mass transport systems. – Rappler.com