Bike lane routes in the Philippines should be included in Google Maps, according to DOTr.
DOTr — On Thursday, the Department of Transportation said that bike lane routes in the Philippines should be included in Google Maps in order to help cyclists in their commutes.
The agency said in a statement that Transport Secretary Art Tugade had been coordinating with Google for the said project.
According to Tugade, the inclusion of bike lane routes in the navigation app will be a very good innovation for Google Maps considering that many Filipinos were riding bikes as their main mode of transportation which brought significant health and environmental benefits, especially amidst the pandemic.
Tugade also said that Google has yet to approve the proposal but he’s confident that the request would be granted.
“We have asked Google to consider this suggestion [as] top priority considering the increasing number of Filipino cyclists,” Tugade said. “We are confident that we can win their support on this.”
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Bicycles or bikes were promoted as a mode of public transport during the pandemic when other mobility modes were shut. Because of the demand, local government units (LGUs) were prompted to develop dedicated bike lanes for commuters’ safety.
According to the DOTr, the agency has completed a 500-kilometer bike lane network in key cities across the Philippines or 313.12 kilometers in Metro Manila, 129.47 kilometers in Metro Cebu, and 54.74 kilometers in Metro Davao.
The DOTr also said that bike lanes were equipped with physical separators, pavement markings, thermoplastic paints, solar-powered road studs, and road signages, among others.
ABS-CBN News reported that bike lane projects were funded under the Philippines’ first pandemic response law also known as the “Bayanihan Recover As One Act”.
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