DOH Calls for Protected Bike Lanes After Hit-and-Run of Nurse
The Department of Health (DOH) reiterated its call for more protected bicycle lanes after the death of a nurse in a hit-and-run.
In a statement, the DOH said Renz Jayson Perez's death amplifies the need to protect health workers and other front-liners during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and called on local government units (LGUs) to roll out protected bike lanes 'as soon as possible.'
Cycling and other forms of active transport, it said, remain as some of the most effective ways to travel during the pandemic as it creates physical distancing and maintains open ventilations--both key in lessening the spread of the disease.
"We also call on LGUs to ensure that traffic and law enforcement proactively ensure the safety of all road users--especially those using light mobility, and that violators are apprehended immediately," the statement read.
To date, the DOH has released Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No 2020-0001 or the Guidelines on the Proper Use and Promotion of Active Transport During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Local Health System Health Promotion Playbook on Active Transport--both provide general and technical guidance to assist LGUs in rolling out protected bike lanes.
It also called on all road users, especially motorists, to be respectful and to share the road with other road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians that are the most vulnerable in road accidents.
"(Cyclists and pedestrians) have just as much right to use the road as motorists do. We must all do our part to create roads and communities that are safe and accessible to all," the DOH said.
Last August 23, Perez was riding his bike near the corner of Padre Burgos and Maria Orosa streets in Manila when he was struck by a black pick-up truck, according to the Manila District Traffic Enforcement Unit.
Perez was taken to the Philippine General Hospital but was declared dead on arrival while the vehicle, last seen by a witness fleeing towards the Delpan Bridge, is still unidentified. The owner of the vehicle though, identified as Saudah Bacaye, a 30-year-old woman, has turned herself to the Manila Police District, with her lawyer claiming that she was not the one driving the car when the incident happened, that they couldn’t identify who did, and that they don't know where the car currently is.
In a statement, the DOH said Renz Jayson Perez's death amplifies the need to protect health workers and other front-liners during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and called on local government units (LGUs) to roll out protected bike lanes 'as soon as possible.'
Cycling and other forms of active transport, it said, remain as some of the most effective ways to travel during the pandemic as it creates physical distancing and maintains open ventilations--both key in lessening the spread of the disease.
"We also call on LGUs to ensure that traffic and law enforcement proactively ensure the safety of all road users--especially those using light mobility, and that violators are apprehended immediately," the statement read.
To date, the DOH has released Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No 2020-0001 or the Guidelines on the Proper Use and Promotion of Active Transport During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Local Health System Health Promotion Playbook on Active Transport--both provide general and technical guidance to assist LGUs in rolling out protected bike lanes.
It also called on all road users, especially motorists, to be respectful and to share the road with other road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians that are the most vulnerable in road accidents.
"(Cyclists and pedestrians) have just as much right to use the road as motorists do. We must all do our part to create roads and communities that are safe and accessible to all," the DOH said.
Last August 23, Perez was riding his bike near the corner of Padre Burgos and Maria Orosa streets in Manila when he was struck by a black pick-up truck, according to the Manila District Traffic Enforcement Unit.
Perez was taken to the Philippine General Hospital but was declared dead on arrival while the vehicle, last seen by a witness fleeing towards the Delpan Bridge, is still unidentified. The owner of the vehicle though, identified as Saudah Bacaye, a 30-year-old woman, has turned herself to the Manila Police District, with her lawyer claiming that she was not the one driving the car when the incident happened, that they couldn’t identify who did, and that they don't know where the car currently is.
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