QC gives away 200 bicycles to help workers with costs of commuting
MANILA, Philippines — Working class citizens from Quezon City will now have a healthier and cheaper way to get around Metro Manila after the local government gave away hundreds of bicycles to residents — this following the announcement of LRT-1 and LRT-2 fare hikes.
"[Two hundred] bicycles for our working class QCitizens!" said QC Mayor Joy Belmonte this Tuesday in a statement released in Filipino.
"The local government gave away bicycles to QCtizen workers hailing from the first to 6th district for them to save up on commuting costs."
200 biskleta para sa mga manggagawang QCitizen! ????
— Mayor Joy Belmonte (@QCMayorJoy) June 20, 2023
Namahagi ang lokal na pamahalaan ng mga biskleta sa mga manggagawang QCitizen mula sa una hanggang ika-anim na distrito upang makatipid ng pamasahe. pic.twitter.com/gDPJ2y45Gr
The announcement came literally just a day after the Department of Transportation confirmed the approval of a P2.29 increase in the minimum fare for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2 beginning on August 2.
Because of this, the minimum boarding fee for the two LRT lines would be raised to P13.29 from the current P11, this alongside the P1.21 per kilometer charge from the current P1 per kilometer.
This was announced even after an earlier order by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to defer the increases due to rising inflation. A similar fare hike petition is also set for re-filing for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) in about two weeks.
"This is another way for our QCitizens to develop a healthier body and to help address the problem of air pollution," added Belmonte.
Biking has seen a recent resurgence in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic as residents found it harder to get around due to the lockdowns and then closures of public transportation against the deadly virus.
As of June 19, a total of 4.15 million COVID-19 cases has been reported in the Philippines since the virus entered the country in 2020. Around 66,482 people have died in the country due to the illness.
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Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com. This article was produced following editorial guidelines.
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