General Santos City Hall (File photo)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The city government is planning to establish bicycle lanes on major roads here to improve safety and address traffic-related problems.
Engr. Riza Paches, head of the newly created City Public Safety Office, said the bidding process is currently ongoing for the necessary procurements involving the project, which is targeted to start within the year.
She said they will specifically install road signage and set pavement markings in the designated bike lanes, which will initially cover areas within the city’s central business district.
Paches said the project is mainly aimed to ensure the safety of bicycle riders as well as motorists and pedestrians.
“It will help decongest our streets and eventually ease vehicle traffic, especially in the main business district,” she said during the city’s regular session on Wednesday afternoon.
Paches said the establishment of the bicycle lanes was included in the city’s Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development master plan, which was completed last year.
The plan, which was crafted through a grant from the National Economic and Development Authority, focuses on implementing a “holistic sustainable development” strategy that ensures the implementation of “balanced social, economic, environmental, and infrastructure plans, policies, programs, activities, and projects” in the area.
She said the national government, through Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), has encouraged local government units to establish bicycle lane networks as an additional mode of public transportation.
The bicycle lane project complements the ongoing implementation of the city’s walkable government center project, which covers portions of the central business district.
The project’s initial phase, which was completed early this year through a PHP35 million grant from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), covered the construction of parking spaces and persons with disabilities or PWD-friendly perimeter pathways in the oval plaza.
The DBM has approved the release of PHP21 million for the second phase and PHP28 million for the third phase of the project. (PNA)
