A couple of days ago, a circular issued by the property management of Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong caused some stir on social media. In it, the company advised residents about a revised traffic scheme due to come into effect from Monday, April 21. The bit that got many people hot under the collar was this paragraph in it:

Under the new scheme, all two-wheeled vehicles—such as motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, and electric unicycles—will no longer be allowed to enter the Shang Central Estate, except for residents of The St. Francis Shangri-La Place with orange vehicle stickers.

This very much reads like all two-wheelers won’t be allowed to access the popular mall and residential complex, which predictably didn’t go down well with the public, and especially those who travel on two wheels. The rest of the memo also didn’t provide much clarification or make bike riders feel any better:

Employees of residents with two-wheeled vehicles bearing blue vehicle stickers will be rerouted via St. Francis Street to The St. Francis Shangri-La Place Main gate.

Additionally, all pick-up and delivery services—including food, non-food items, and parcels—must now be conducted at the Loading Bay area located at the ground floor.

As an avid cyclist who frequently visits the place on two wheels, this had me as concerned as everyone else. Finding it hard to believe that a company would take such a radical and backward step, I reached out to Shangri-La Plaza management for comment. The reply arrived swiftly in the form of a clarification from the firm’s director for Property Management, copied below for your reference:

Dear Mr. Schuengel,

Thank you for reaching out to us.

Yes, we are cognizant of the need for alternative mobility solutions, especially in light of current traffic conditions. Thus, we are actively implementing measures to enhance traffic flow within the Shang Central estate.

As part of these efforts, we have introduced a new traffic management system that prioritizes the safety and security of pedestrians and those with ambulatory challenges. As part of this new system, we are routing direct access to the estate for two-wheeled vehicles via the Garden Way and St. Francis Street entrances.

We sincerely regret that there was a miscommunication with the announcement that was sent out. It is important to clarify that this policy does not constitute a ban on two-wheeled vehicles from entering the estate. Rather, it aims to ensure that pedestrians are protected from potential hazards while allowing for the safe and efficient movement of two-wheeled vehicles. At the end of the day, we want to ensure both safety and direct access for everyone involved.

So, it seems two-wheelers are not banned; they only have to take a different route into and out of the place. How this will work in practice will remain to be seen, and one could argue that cars pose a far greater risk to pedestrians than bicycles, but let’s give the place the benefit of the doubt and see what pans out after the 21st of this month.