Solon: Bikers should get 30-minute grace period at work

With the relatively longer travel time they need to get to work, bicycle-riding employees should get a 30-minute window before their employers mark them late, Pampanga Rep. Carmelo Lazatin said Sunday. Lazatin recommended this as part of his proposed Bicycle Use Act of 2011, or House Bill 5335, which aims to push the government and private sector to promote bicycle use. “The government lacks a serious program to promote bicycle use despite the many benefits it brings not only to health but to the economy and environment as well," he said in a statement posted on the website of the House of Representatives. Also, he said such a bill is important amid the “spiraling cost" of oil products. According to him, the bill urges the private sector to provide bicycle parking spaces and facilities, such as bike racks, in all public and private commercial establishments. The implementing rules and regulations of the proposed law will specify the standard size of the allotted parking spaces. He added that local government units (LGUs) should also help in achieving the bill’s aims by establishing bike lanes along major thoroughfares around the country. For public and private establishments, penalties include the suspension and revocation of business permits. LGUs shall monitor compliance with the proposed law while the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations shall fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Labor and Employment. Palace open to bike lanes Last April, Malacañang said that it is open to supporting another bill on establishing bike lanes and bike-friendly communities. In another interview, however, a government official admitted that a number of Metro Manila thoroughfares remain unsafe for bikers. “Of course, we do not encourage cyclists to ply major routes or major highways, dahil masyadong delikado ito. But we can find other routes for bikers," said Metropolitan Manila Development Authority assistant general manager Emerson Carlos. An advocacy group, the Firefly Brigade, has been encouraging LGUs to pass ordinances to ensure the safety of cyclists on the country’s roads. — LBG, GMA News