Helmets, Hand Signals + More: What You Need to Know About the Proposed Bike Bill

PHOTO BY richardernestyap / Shutterstock

Here's some good news for those who regularly use their bikes as their go-to form of transportation in the Metro: Las Piñas representative Camille Villar recently filed HB 8156, or the Bicycle Act of 2020. According to the Manila Times, it contains many of the provisions filed by her father Manny Villar when he was a senator back in 2011. It includes the establishment of a Local Bikeways Office, an agency under the city or municipality's engineering office which will implement the rules and regulations of the Bicycle Act. The Local Bikeways Office will also be in charge of setting up bikeways in all major roads and highways.

"With bikes becoming more in-demand and physical distancing dictating social norms, a policy on bicycle and cyclists should now figure prominently in the government's current and post-pandemic planning," she wrote in her explanatory notes.

The proposed bill outlines the "rights and responsibilities" of bikers. Based on the provisions reported in the Times, Manila Bulletin, and Advocates, a biker is expected to:

• Wear a helmet at all times, where the chin strap is securely fastened
  
• Know (and use) left- and right-turn hand signals
  
• Equip the bike with reflective materials when riding at night
  
• Stick to the appropriate speed
  
• Obey all traffic rules and regulations
  
• Not ride on crosswalks or sidewalks, but only on bikeways
  
• Not cling to another vehicle
  
• Not carry more riders than the bike was designed for, unless they're on a towed seat or trailer
  
• Not carry anything on the bike unless it's on installed baskets, bags, racks, or trailers
  
• Not modify the bike in such a way that your handlebars are higher than your shoulders

Villar's bill joins the raft of proposed bike legislations and regulations, both local and national, floated across this tumultuous year. This includes Pia Cayetano's Senate Bill 1518, a Safe Pathways Act, which called for the setting up of "pop-up" bicycle lanes and emergency pathways across the country. In early August, Camille Villar's mother, Senator Cynthia Villar, questioned Cayetano's proposal, saying that "our roads are not perfect. We do not have enough space."

Main image used for illustrative purposes only.

This story originally appeared on SPIN.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Spot.ph editors.

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Source: Spot PH