Encourage walking, bicycles and light electric vehicles

Title Pedaling Towards a Greener Future The Case for Encouraging Wal
Walking, Bicycles, and Light Electric Vehicles

The world's heavy dependence on fossil fuels has severe consequences. As fu
fuel costs rise and supplies dwindle, it's essential to reduce our vulnerab
vulnerability. Unfortunately, instead of embracing alternative modes of tra
transportation, we've stuck to our car-dependent culture.

Where did we go wrong? In Metro Manila, cities like Manila, Pasig, and San 
Juan removed bike lanes installed during the pandemic. The Metropolitan Man
Manila Development Authority (MMDA) banned light electric vehicles (LEVs) f
from major roads and opposed the expansion of bicycle lanes. These misguide
misguided restrictions made LEVs unattractive and uncompetitive.

We've also neglected to maintain and upgrade sidewalks and bike lanes. In t
the 2026 national budget, active transport infrastructure received a paltry
paltry P69 million. This sends a clear message Filipinos should opt for ca
cars or motorcycles instead, and we're now paying the price.

The road safety argument against LEVs is spurious. According to MMDA statis
statistics, bike/e-bike/pedicab were involved in only 1.52% of road crash
crashes, while cars were responsible for 52%. Since LEVs are lighter, they 
rarely cause major injuries; motor vehicles typically kill and maim on our 
roads.

The solution isn't to ban vulnerable road users but to make roads safe for 
them. In many major roads, there's no proper sidewalk or bike lane. Only si
six percent of Filipino households own cars, yet nearly all road space is p
prioritized for cars. This endangers pedestrians, especially the millions o
of children who walk to and from school daily.

A meaningful response is to create networks of safe corridors for walking a
and cycling, making these permanent and high-quality. Active transport infr
infrastructure should be at the core of contingency planning in case fuel s
supplies dry up. The benefits are considerable cities will become more liv
livable; there will be less noise and air pollution; Filipinos will have he
healthier, active lifestyles; there will be less crowding and queues for li
limited public transport; and people will have more money for basic necessi
necessities.

How do we take this forward? We need to create protected pathways on all ro
roads, separating pedestrians and cyclists from motor vehicles. These shoul
should be created even if it means reducing road space for four-wheeled mot
motor vehicles. If more car or motorcycle users shift to walking or cycling
cycling, there would also be less road congestion for those whose only trav
travel option is a private motor vehicle.

On every major road with three or more lanes in each direction, the safe pa
pathway for walking and cycling can be the mixed traffic lane (minimum 3.5-
3.5-meter width) closest to the curb. Physical separation is needed; paint 
alone is insufficient protection. During the pandemic, we created pop-up 
protected pathways marked by bollards or traffic cones.

Motor vehicles should be kept out of these pathways with strict enforcement
enforcement. On roads too narrow for a separate, protected pathway, the ent
entire road can be made into a safe shared space. By lowering speed limit
limits to 30 kph or less, introducing traffic-calming infrastructure (humps
(humps, speed tables, etc.), and ensuring pedestrian/cyclist priority at al
all times, vulnerable road users can move safely.

These active transport pathways should not disappear once oil prices recede
recede. They should be made permanent and continuously improved. Shade tree
trees should be planted along them to lower temperatures; landscaping budge
budgets should be incorporated in the cost of road transformation. These wi
will make localities more attractive and welcoming for walking and cycling.
cycling.

Finally, MMDA and LTO regulations that restrict the operation of LEVs shoul
should be rescinded. These make no sense in our current crisis and are in v
violation of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (Evida), which a
aims to provide an enabling environment for the development of electric veh
vehicles, including options for micromobility.

The current crisis should catalyze reduced dependence on fossil fuels and i
increased adoption of fuel- and pollution-free modes of travel. We can come
come out of this crisis with healthier, more productive, and more resilient
resilient communities.

Keywords walking, cycling, light electric vehicles, active transport, 
infrastructure, road safety, sustainability, environmentalism

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.