FUEL PRICE HIKE EFFECT?: City bike user count logs 8k+ on third week

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

More bike users were accounted for in the past week as the volunteer-led Friday Bike Count on June 17, 2022 logged more than 8,000 bikers traversing high-traffic points on Iloilo City roadways.

A total of 8,628 bike users were logged on June 17, or 33 percent higher than the first Friday Bike Count on June 3.

Several key intersection points where volunteers were stationed also logged increases in the number of bikers, including the intersections of Benigno Aquino Sr. Avenue and El 98 Street (50 percent), Molo Plaza (37 percent), and Avanceña Street and Quezon Street (29 percent).

Volunteers previously noted high traffic of users in the afternoon at the intersection of R. Mapa and Oñate De Leon Streets in Mandurriao district (659) on June 3.

Bike users do not only pertain to those who push the pedal on the bikes but may also refer to passengers who stow on the back or mid-front portion of the bikes (angkas).

The actual number of bike users may even be higher than the current count, as the bike counts are conducted only during rush hour times of 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Cycling advocacy page Iloilo Bike Ed for Road Safety, which has been reporting the numbers of the Friday Bike Counts in recent weeks, said that this was coincidental to the recurring rise of oil prices and the implementation of Iloilo City’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).

A CNN Philippines report cited by the group said that as of June 14, fuel prices have gone up by P41.15 (diesel), P28.70 (gasoline), and P37.95 (kerosene) since the start of the year.

The LPTRP implementation, which started on June 12, also caused confusion among commuters, as well as disgruntlement from Iloilo province residents working in the city, as some old routes were consolidated and jeepneys from neighboring towns were no longer allowed to enter inner parts of the city.

Locations of the bike count include the intersections of Benigno Aquino Sr. Ave.-UPV, Benigno Aquino Sr. Ave.-El 98 St., Molo Plaza, Avanceña St.-Quezon St., R.Mapa St.-Oñate De Leon St., Benigno Aquino Sr. Ave.-Ungka, E.Lopez St.-Ledesma Mansion, Baluarte Fishing Port, Burgos St.-Huervana St., and Muelle Loney Bridge (Provincial Capitol area).

The Friday Bike Count is a volunteer-driven initiative held on all Fridays of June that aims to collect data that can assist in crafting sound transport policy and in planning of inclusive mobility infrastructure.

It is spearheaded by the Iloilo Folding Bike Riders (iFOLD) and the Mobility Awards and supported by the Iloilo City Government and the Department of Public Works and Highways.