Bike users welcomed the newly-installed ramps in some parts of Quezon City meant to assist them in carrying their two-wheelers in footbridges and places with stairs.
The Quezon City Government on Saturday announced that residents and visitors in the city can now use bike ramps in the underpass of the Quezon Memorial Circle and on other footbridges.
These are painted yellow for increased visibility and are marked with bicycle logos and arrows for easy identification.
According to the QC Department of Public Order and Safety, there are five bike ramps operational as of Monday, including the one in the Quezon Memorial Circle. The rest can be found in the following:
- PHILCOA
- Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife
- Katipunan Avenue near S&R UP Town Center
- UP Asian Institute and Tourism
Meanwhile, 23 bike ramps are still under construction. The city government is planning to put 40 of it overall.
It said installing the bike ramps is among its initiatives to ensure cyclists’ safety and welfare as a “bike-friendly city.”
“Hinihikayat ng pamahalaang lungsod ang mga QCitizens na magbisikleta at gumamit ng alternative transportation dahil bukod sa eco-friendly at abot-kaya, ito ay nakapagpapabuti sa kalusugan bilang ehersisyo,” the city government said on a Facebook post.
Some Filipinos welcomed the initiative, including those that use bikes in their travels.
“Wow buti naman, ‘di na [mapapagod] magbuhat,” a Facebook user commented.
“Thank you so much po for helping all the bikers about this bike ramps. May pros and cons man ang project na ito, bigayan at pagkaunawaan [lang] ang kailang para ito ay maging successful sa ating lahat,” another online user said.
“‘Di naman lahat ng bikers ay malakas na ang katawan para buhatin sariling bike nilang mabigat, ang ibang bikers ay nagpapagaling pa lamang sa kanilang karamdaman. Keep safe mga bikers and [QCitizens] po na namamasyal sa Circle,” she added.
“Malaking tulong ito, lalo na para sa mga gumagamit ng mabibigat na bike. Hindi kasi lahat ng tao kayang bumili ng magaan na bike. Ang bike ko na bakal, 18kg ang timbang ng bike pa lang at wala pa duon ang mga gamit ko (pannier bags, locks, tools…),” a biker commented.
“Kaya hindi option sa akin ang buhatin ang bike sa overpass. Although, agree ako na pwede pa mag-improve ang design ng bike ramp. Pero kailangan natin magpakita ng appreciation sa efforts ng [QC] na mapadali kahit paano ang bike commuting natin,” he added.
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city government gave free helmets to cyclists.
It has also been consistent in its crackdown on bike lane violators.