Motorcycle riders urged: Use barriers approved by government

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday asked motorcycle riders to use only the physical barriers approved by the government to avoid accidents.

PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the prototypes of the Bohol provincial government and motorcycle ride-hailing app Angkas passed the safety standards set by the National Task Force against the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

“These two approved designs underwent a thorough study, including the concept of aerodynamics,” Eleazar said in a statement.

With the Bohol prototype, the barrier is installed in the motorcycle. Angkas’ backpack barrier is worn by the rider.

Eleazar issued the statement in reaction to social media posts blaming the government’s requirement for barriers as the reason behind motorcycle accidents.

He said motorcyclists should only buy barriers approved by the government.

A total of 10,932 motorcycle riders were accosted for back-riding violations. Of the figure, 9,649 did not use barriers while 1,283 violators have protective gear, but their companions were not their spouses or partners.

They were not given citation tickets and were advised to comply with the requirements by July 26.

Motorcycle taxis

With limited mass transportation due to public health considerations, transport safety and health experts yesterday said app-based motorcycle taxi services could be a viable mode of transportation.

In a position paper to be presented before the House committee on transportation today, a technical panel from the UP College of Public Health (CPH) said several protection measures could make motorcycle taxis a feasible option for commuters.

These include physical barriers, use of face masks and helmets, adequate ventilation, hand hygiene and the use of mobile applications for transactions and contact tracing.

“Given the proper research and implementing health measures based on that study, I think there’s a viability that we can make motorcycles a form of transport during the pandemic,” Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca said at a virtual press briefing.

Angkas recently partnered with UP to study the viability of motorcycle taxis as an alternative means of transportation.

UP CPH dean Vicente Belizario Jr. said health experts from the university would help the company explore protection measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission among drivers and passengers.