BAGUIO CITY– The city government is encouraging the residents to use bicycles as a mode of transportation during the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and its eventual downgrading to general community quarantine (GCQ) until such time that the mass public transport system returns to normal.
The aprroved resolution authored by Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria Yaranon states the ECQ period is a time for innovative and out-of-the-box solutions to address a number of problems that the city is currently facing.
She said the use of bicycles may be a low-tech solution but it will address not only the problems of the riding public but also gives other advantages.
She points out that the use of bicycles as an alternate mode of transportation will provide convenient travel in the city during the ECQ and GCQ until the restrictions on the city’s public transportation system are relaxed and lifted.
In the light of the ECQ, riding bicycles can offer a number of advantages such as reducing the spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID) 2019 by cutting crowds on public transportation; keeping pollution levels as seen by the low carbon level during the ECQ period; providing physical exercise to keep people fit; and helping address the problem caused by the restricted public transportation.
Earlier, the city government allowed the temporary operation of bicycle supply and repair shops, textile supply stores, and electrical appliance supply and repair shops to operate every Mondays to Wednesdays of the week during the ECQ period.
Baguio City is one of the few localities in the country in the extended ECQ that will expire on May 15, 2020. ( Zaldy Comanda)