THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is focusing on creating safe spaces for cyclists and pedestrians as it pushes for cycling and walking as well as the use of non-motorized transport as efficient and sustainable modes of mobility, and key solutions to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila and its adjacent areas.
“As DOTr seeks to solve the problem of traffic, it is designating and reclaiming road space to provide safe infrastructure for more efficient and sustainable modes of transport such as bike lanes and walkways,” the transport agency in a statement on Friday said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently announced that the national government will prioritize active transport by creating facilities such as “safe walkways and secured bike lanes to promote healthier and more sustainable modes of travel.”
Active transport, according to the DOTr, is in line with the National Transport Policy (NTP) and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 (PDP).
Under the initiatives of the NTP and PDP, pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles are being accorded the highest priority in the hierarchy of road users, it said. It also mandates government to prioritize the development of active transport infrastructure, it said.
“The DOTr heeds to the long-overlooked clamor of public and active transport commuters to have better commuting experience by pushing for expanded and safer walkways and bike lanes, most especially along national roads,” the DOTr statement read.
