ALTHOUGH backriding on motorcycles is now allowed again, the officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government Central Visayas (DILG 7) and the traffic enforcers have yet to implement backriding guidelines.
On July 9, 2020, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año announce that motorcycle backriding for couples will be permitted starting Friday, July 10, 2020.
However, Michael Braga, DILG 7 information officer, in a text message sent to SunStar Cebu, said that as of Friday afternoon, they have yet to receive instructions or guidelines on the resumption of the motorcycle backriding for couples in areas under general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine.
In Mandaue City, Arnold Malig-on, the Traffic Enforcer Agency of Mandaue (Team) operations chief, told Sunstar Cebu that they have not implemented backriding since there is no official memorandum from the DILG.
Malig-on said that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be the one to make the guidelines to be implemented.
He said once the guidelines from the PNP will be handed out to them, they will implement them.
On July 9, the traffic enforcers spotted several couples that have started to backride on motorcycles on their way to work.
As they have not yet received the guidelines, Malig-on said they would only call out the motorcyclists with their partners to inform them that Mandaue City has not yet implemented the backriding rules.
Most of these riders are from the mountain barangays of Mandaue City.
“We did not apprehend them nor did we issue any citation,” said Malig-on.
Although backriding is allowed, Malig-on clarified that they will still not allow any motorcycle for hire or “habal-habal” to operate.
He added that none of the backriding couples have set up a barrier on the motorcyle, as what Año recommended.
In Malig-on’s opinion, wearing masks should be enough to protect the couples from each other and a barrier is unnecessary.
He assumes that the barriers may cause accidents or will be inconvenient for the motorcyclists when refueling. (WBS, KFD)