THE Police Regional Office (PRO) in Northern Mindanao has caught 346 persons who violated the motorcycle backriding policy from August 1 to 3 in different parts of the region, spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Mardy Hortillosa said.

Hortillosa said of the 346, 161 were couples who were apprehended for failure to put up a barrier on their motorcycles (five of them were charged), while 118 were those who were not authorized to back ride.

According to the guidelines by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), motorcycle backriding is allowed for couples living in the same household.

Valid IDs should be presented as proof that said persons are living together or are married to one another, or have relation to one another (common law marriage, boyfriend and girlfriend, etc.).

A safety barrier/shield whose design is duly approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force National Task Force Covid-19 must be placed between the driver and passenger.