OVER 6,000 motorcycle riders and their passengers in Metro Manila were accosted by the authorities for violating the couple-only rule and failing to install a barrier.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Sunday, July 19, 2020, that they have extended the deadline for the mandatory installation of safety barriers until July 26 to give riders enough time to comply.
Starting July 27, authorities will start issuing citation tickets to violators.
Año said the apprehension of these riders showed the importance of a barrier since a lot of people still violate the couple-only rule.
As of Saturday, July 18, police have accosted 6,476 riders and passengers. Among them were 615 riders who installed barriers but were not married nor living in the same household.
“Ito ang sinasabi natin na kailangan mo talaga ng barrier kasi you cannot be very sure that they are following the law,” Año said in a radio interview in Metro Manila Sunday.
(This is what we have been saying. A barrier is needed because you cannot be very sure that they are following the law.)
Motorcycle backriding has been allowed since July 10 for couples living in the same house in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ, but a barrier must be installed between the driver and passenger.
The riders must also wear face masks aside from their helmets. These conditions are aimed at preventing transmission of Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Two prototypes of barriers have been approved. One was designed by Bohol Governor Arthur Yap and the other was designed by ride-hailing company Angkas.
The Angkas model is worn by the driver like a backpack.
Earlier, the Motorcycle Federation of the Philippines (MFP) said helmets and face masks should be enough to prevent the transmission of the virus in motorcycle backriding.
The group warned that a barrier could affect the rider’s balance in case of strong winds and harm riders in the event of an accident. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)