IT has been argued that the long-run solution to the choking traffic in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas lies in not only providing a world-class public transport system but also getting more people out of motor vehicles, i.e., getting them to ride bicycles. Three practical reasons are worth mentioning. One, bikes, being generally cheaper than cars, are more accessible to Filipinos. Two, bikes are environment-friendly, as they do not dump pollutants into the atmosphere and are also much quieter than motor vehicles. Three, bikes help to promote a healthy lifestyle through cardiovascular exercise, whose benefits should be obvious, as well as mental health, since biking can be a way for people to temporarily escape the confines of their own homes.
Nevertheless, there are also good reasons to be hesitant. One, infrastructure for bikes is inadequate to protect cyclists, as bicycle lanes are too narrow to traverse, are not interconnected, and lack separation from cars, buses, and trucks. Two, although biking may be a good form of exercise, the heavily polluted air that one inhales could prove dangerous to one’s health.
Before Covid-19 hit the Philippines, with car sales surging and traffic increasingly becoming unbearable, there was a dilemma. Less cars and more bikes could decrease air pollution; however, to entice more bike riders, roads must be safe, and air must be breathable. Now, with work-from-home arrangements, physical distancing, and other precautionary measures in force, Covid-19 has finally settled the dilemma by forcing people to shift from motor vehicles to bikes. This trend can be observed not just here in the Philippines but also across the world.
As reported by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its Facebook video post, Europe has spent a billion euros on cycling infrastructure since the pandemic began (Sources: European Cyclists’ Federation, Statista). As Covid-19 leads many commuters to avoid public transport, countries have invested in cycling lanes, car-free zones, and traffic mitigation. Finland has spent more on such investments than any other European country (€7.76 per person), followed by Italy, France, and the United Kingdom (Source: European Cyclists’ Federation).
The WEF also notes that other parts of the world are seeing an uptick in bike usage (Source: Reuters). The United States has seen a 121-percent increase in bike sales, as 85 percent of Americans consider cycling safer than public transport during the pandemic (Sources: Trek Bikes, Statista). Mexico City is building 54 kilometers of new bike lanes (Source: Reuters), while Bogota has already added 80 kilometers of bike lanes, in the hopes of enabling a million daily bike commutes (Source: Mayor of Bogota).
Admittedly, perhaps, if it were not for Covid-19, the Filipino mindset would probably have remained inordinately focused on cars. For instance, the Metro Manila Dream Plan adopted by the government in 2014 was all about building and modernizing new roads and railways; it did not really say much, if any, about bikers and pedestrians.
Now, there are a good number of transportation policies and pronouncements that aim to transform Metro Manila into a bicycle/pedestrian-friendly society. Here are some notable examples: 1) from the Department of the Interior and Local Government: Memorandum Circular 2020-100 (“Guidelines for the Establishment of a Network of Cycling Lanes and Walking Paths to Support People’s Mobility”); 2) from the Department of Health: Active Transport Playbook; 3) from the Department of Transportation: plans for a bike lane network covering 644 kilometers at a cost of P1.035 billion; and 4) from the Department of Public Works and Highways, DILG, DOH, and DOT: Joint Administrative Order 2020-0001 (“Guidelines on the Proper Use and Promotion of Active Transport During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic”).
In the words of American politician Rahm Emanuel: “We must not let this serious crisis go to waste.” The same sentiment is echoed by Brené Brown, albeit in a much more dramatic fashion: “We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal, other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate, and lack. We should not long to return, my friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment, one that fits all of humanity and nature.”
Indeed, there is a window of opportunity to make mobility in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas more inclusive and people-centered. Those who are engaged in biking and road safety gear businesses should be quick to respond to such growing demand. It seems that the pandemic has actually been forcing the Philippines to do the right things, and it would be wise not to miss the chance to promote meaningful and lasting improvements.
So, would anyone care to bike now?
Dr. Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes teaches economics at the Ateneo de Manila University.