MOTORCYCLE BARRIER. The Bohol and Angkas prototypes of the motorcycle barriers approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to ensure physical distancing between the driver and the back rider. Cebu 6th District Provincial Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco on Monday (July 27, 2020) suggested to the IATF-EID to strictly enforce wearing a full-faced, front-covered helmet with overalls, jackets, and gloves for the back-rider, in lieu of the barrier which may cause accidents. (Photos courtesy of Bobby Capco and the Bohol Provincial Capitol PIO)
CEBU CITY – A member of the Cebu Provincial Board on Monday suggested strict enforcement of the mandatory wearing of a full-faced helmet to back-riders in lieu of the installed barrier which may cause accidents.
Glenn Anthony Soco, Cebu’s 6th District representative to the Provincial Board, said he recognized the intention of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in imposing a certain degree of restrictions to motorcycles during quarantine, in order to combat the spread of the infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
On Monday, the Provincial Board passed a resolution authored by Soco urging the IATF-EID to reconsider its policy requiring the installation of a pre-approved design of motorcycle pillion divider or shield.
In his resolution, he said a solution to the Covid-19 crisis “must be practical, affordable and effective” and suggested that the “more functional and sensible (for) the pillion-rider/back rider (is) simply (to require them to) wear a full-faced, front-covered helmet, with overalls or jackets and gloves”.
“The observance of basic health protocols like wearing masks, frequent washing of hands, or use of disinfectants must likewise be maintained. A structured physical barrier is not necessary,” the resolution read.
Soco said motorcycles have become an everyday means of transport that gained popularity over the years. In the 2018 statistics, there were 6,174,300 registered motorcycles in the Philippines, approximately 59 percent of the total number of registered vehicles. In Cebu alone, one out of 23 Cebuanos owns a motorcycle.
Soco also said that “Filipinos see motorcycles as cost-efficient for both personal and business needs” as well as the “perfect alternative vehicle for fast mobility”.
The perennial problem on traffic congestion pushes demand for motorcycle ownership especially in urban areas like the Province of Cebu, he said.
The genuine intention to promote and maintain strict compliance with strict health protocols must be weighed along with the imposition of policy to install barrier which, he said, may pose more harm than good.
He cited the opinions of engineers and experts that barriers in two prototypes are “violative of the principles of aerodynamics and maneuverability for motorcycle riders”.
The two approved prototypes are the steel frame design with plexiglass or plastic soldered in the center of the motorcycle (Bohol prototype) or a backpack-like contraption to be worn by the driver (Angkas prototype).
“With this plight, most motorcycle owners who cannot afford to comply with the prototypes will then have to improvise and make use of substandard and cheaper alternatives. This will add to the greater risk and hazard of accidents and road mishaps,” Soco said.
Considering that only couples are allowed to ride together on motorcycles, “the issue on physical distancing must be seriously revisited since these individuals are principally sharing bed and board”, he added. (PNA)
