No fund in DOTr proposed 2022 budget for bike lanes' sustainability

There is no fund allocated for the sustainability of the bike lanes project in the proposed budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for fiscal year 2022, a lawmaker confirmed on Wednesday.

During the resumption of the budget deliberations at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro asked if there is a specific amount allotted for the sustainability of the project, which she believes is very helpful for workers amid the pandemic.

"Mayroon po bang budget sa 2022 ang DOTr para sa sustainability nitong mga bike lanes na ito kasi maganda ito lalong-lalo na sa ating manggagawa at iba pa nating kababayan. May budget po ba 'yan?" Castro asked.

(Is there a budget for the sustainability of the bike lines? This is a good project for our workers.)

In response, Bataan Representative Jose Enrique Garcia III, sponsor of DOTr's proposed P150.76-billion budget for next year, said the agency had requested P1.5 billion for this project. However, it was declined by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

"Nag-request ang ahensya ng P1.5 billion pero wala pong binigay ang DBM under our NEP (National Expenditure Program) kaya po isa po 'yan sa susubukan nating magawan ng paraan upang mabigyan ng budget sa 2022," he said.

(The agency has requested P1.5 billion for this but the DBM did not include it in the NEP. We will make efforts so that an additional fund will be given to the agency.)

Castro then vowed to help in pushing for an additional budget for the sustainability of the bike lanes project.

In July, the DOTr opened the 313-kilometer Metro Manila Bike Lane Network —the country’s longest bike lane network to date.

The Metro Manila Bike Lane Network forms part of the completed 497 kilometers of bike lanes created in Metro Cebu and in Metro Davao.

To recall, mobility restrictions and limited public transportation amid the implementation of community quarantine measures to contain COVID-19 have prompted workers in Metro Manila to use bicycles. —KG, GMA News