Council weighs removing CBRT bike lane barriers

The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) faces another challenge as the Cebu City Council has ordered a study on the temporary removal of bike lane barriers along Osmeña Boulevard after assessing that these pose a security risk and contribute to traffic congestion.

- Iris Hazel Mascardo

This action stemmed from a privilege speech by Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover, who addressed the council by echoing concerns raised in a column published in The Freeman titled “Scrap the Bike Lanes,” written by Jose Vicente Araneta on February 15, 2021.

Alcover stressed that while bike lanes have their time and place, Cebu City’s road infrastructure may not be suitable for them.

“We have too many cars, and too few kilometers of roads,” he said.

He suggested that road sharing could be a more feasible solution for Cebu City’s streets, provided it is complemented with proper traffic regulations.

Referring to the column he quoted, Alcover noted that the push for bike lanes stemmed from observations during the pandemic, when the number of cyclists increased.

Alcover also pointed out that he had only recently noticed the bike lane barriers along Osmeña Boulevard. He added that his office had already received multiple complaints about their presence.