The bicycle bus is gaining momentum worldwide as a solution to several transportation problems. Colombia, Spain, and the United States have already embraced movement. The Philippines is failing and still resisting change.
The Philippine government loosely supports it. The public wants to embrace it, but the motorists still find valuable cars than choose progress. So the cycling community organized a bike bus.
The 350 Pilipinas Bike Squad and Happy Pedal Project organized a bike bus during the morning rush hour. They started from Quezon City Hall and ended the trip in Pasig City. The group will ride for 10 kms through EDSA to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) End-of-Trip Facility.
EDSA has become notorious for its traffic jams since the start of the new millennium. Today, EDSA’s morning rush (7:00 AM to 10:00 AM) takes 3 hours or more to complete a trip. The bike bus only took an hour to complete.
There are 7,855 cyclists on a daily commute on EDSA, according to the Mobility Awares count last year. What if these 7,855 people could ride their bicycles together? That’s what happened to 80 Filipino commuters on a bicycle as a group.
The 80 commuter cyclists braced themselves on EDSA. The 6:00 AM rush hour placed itself in the responsibility of each other. An activity held on 11 June 2026.
For the first time, commuter cyclists found themselves safe in large numbers. It gave them the confidence to go against the norm of daily EDSA traffic. They’re more visible to motorists and less prone to drivers’ harassment.
Ilay, a commuter cyclist, joined the bike bus morning rush ride. She shares her experience, “The bike ride was enjoyable. It’s usually chaotic when riding this morning (rush). You just have to get used to it. This bike ride with the guidance of 350 Pilipinas makes it more comfortable [and safe] on the bicycle.”
“It’s safer in numbers. Especially when you ride with buddies for the accountability [of your safety]. Compared to when you are riding alone. You have a problem finding help or someone to attend to your needs when in danger. Like when you’re in a group, someone can watch your back or incoming traffic obstacles,” she shares more of her thoughts.
This activity is a call to protect active transport, especially during the current economic crisis. The call is also to safeguard vulnerable road users such as women, children, and beginner cyclists. This includes employees and laborers who commute on bicycles and use active transport to save enough money.
“Our workers cannot be truly free if they are forced to spend half their day trapped in traffic and half their paycheck on rising fuel costs. Active transport is our ticket to economic independence. Ahead of the President’s State of the Nation Address, we are demanding that policymakers fund our freedom by investing in interconnected infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians in the national budget,” added Amber Garma, national coordinator for the Mobility Awards.
Garma wants to highlight the 94 percent crash in the budget for active transport. The budget for active transport was ₱2 billion in 2022. In 2026, it was slashed to ₱105 million.
This bicycle bus ride followed World Bicycle Day on 4 June 2026. The activity was held just before the Philippine Independence Day.
