You wouldn't want to be caught without a helmet while riding around Quezon City in a bicycle. Mayor Joy Belmonte recently approved Ordinance No. SP-2942, which makes helmet-wearing mandatory for QC bike riders.
Violators will be penalized with fines of P1,000, P3,000 and P5,000 for the first, second, and third offense, respectively, by the Department of Public Order and Safety.
Wearing the safety gear is actually already part of the Road Safety Ordinance, but the influx of bicycle riders during the COVID-19 quarantine convinced the city council to update the policy.
"Ngayong bahagi na ng new normal ang pagbibisikleta, nais nating gawing mas ligtas ang aktibidad na ito para sa mga dumadaan sa ating lungsod. Makatutulong ang pagsusuot ng helmet upang maging maayos ang ating pagbiyahe at para ligtas tayong makarating sa ating pupuntahan," she said.
(Now that bicycle-riding is part of the new normal, we want to make the activity safer for those passing through our city. Wearing helmets will help traveling by bike become better, so that we can reach our destination safely.)
The city government also started the Bike Lane Project, which involves repairing existing bike lanes, placing traffic separation devices, identifying new routes, and hopefully, putting up more permanent bike lanes.
