Valentine's Day will be a red-letter day for motorcycle riders in Metro Manila, who are expected to benefit from motorcycle lanes along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said they will go easy on the EDSA motorcycle lanes at first, holding just a dry run in the first week.
In a news release, the MMDA said violators during the dry run will have to attend a 15-minute seminar, after which they get heart-shaped stickers bearing the MMDA logo and the phrases "Certified Motorcycle Riders" and "Disiplinado Ako (I am disciplined)."
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the 15-minute road safety seminars will be held in areas like Roxas Boulevard, Orense, White Plains, Timog, and Quezon Avenue.
The designated motorcycle lane shall be the fourth lane from the right sidewalk and shall run the length of EDSA from Monumento in Caloocan City to SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
But the lanes will be "non-exclusive," meaning private vehicles may also use them.
"I am appealing to the private motorists using the motorcycle lanes to observe maximum tolerance for motorcycle riders to avoid any accident," Tolentino said.
The establishment of the motorcycle lanes at EDSA stemmed from Memorandum Circular 12-01 Series of 2012, which was approved by the Metro Manila Council last month.
Tolentino said the implementation of the motorcycle lanes is necessary to promote a more orderly flow of traffic along EDSA and reduce the number of fatal accidents involving motorcycles.
Deviating from motorcycle lanes
Motorcycle riders may deviate from the motorcycle lanes when making a turn or U-turn at authorized intersections and U-turn slots, in which case they are to gradually shift lanes not less than 200 meters away from the turning point, while making the appropriate signals.
The MMDA cited figures showing the number of motorcycles traversing EDSA daily was 6,559 for the northbound lane and 5,173 for the southbound lane.
Last year, the MMDA also implemented similar motorcycle lanes along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay and Parañaque City