Senator aims to keep fit by riding cycle to work

Manila: Senator Pia Cayetano has vowed to commute to the Senate on a folding cycle to keep fit and to help make Manila's air cleaner, a TV report said.

Cayetano, a health buff, also plans to gift foldable bicycles to her staff members at the senate, saying they are triathletes and cyclists who can promote commuting to offices on bicycles.

Cayetano's campaign began when two of Metro Manila's elevated train systems, line 1 of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) from Baclaran to Monumento; and LRT's line 2 from Manila's Recto to Quezon City's Santolan, launched green coaches for bikers with foldable bikes.

Although green coaches allow only four bikers at a time, Cayetano said the policy will improve as soon as there is a fever for biking for health and cleaner air.

Hopefully, all Filipinos could enjoy biking to summer capitals in the north and other destinations in the south with the help of mass transport facilities with coaches for bikers.

The European Union, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States have transport facilities for long-distance bikers, said Cayetano, adding that Filipinos should emulate these countries.

A passionate biker, Cayetano said that biking is not only for health and self-development, but for cleaner air that will benefit non-bikers as well.

In January, Cayetano led a 100-kilometre bicycle ride from Davao City to Tagum City, Davao del Norte.