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| Two motorcycle riders and their passengers travel without a protective barrier on their vehicles, along the Aguinaldo Highway in Barangay Salitran, Dasmariñas City, Cavite. (Photo from: Gil Calinga) |
[아시아뉴스통신=조날드 타파난 기자] The Joint Task Force (JTF) Covid Shield said that the first day of strict implementation of the motorcycle back riding policies netted 1,350 violators. A data from Philippine National Police (PNP) showed that 1,284 motorcycle riders were apprehended for failure to install barriers as part of the measures to protect the riders against COVID-19.
JTF Covid Shield commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said defiance of the back-riding policies would be met with appropriate sanctions based on the guidelines approved by PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa in coordination with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Eleazar said the government gave the motorcycle owners 22 days to install the required barrier.
Based on the PNP guideline, back-riding married and living-in partners without the required barrier, not wearing face masks and not wearing helmets fall under reckless driving with penalties ranging from PHP1,000 to PHP10,000 depending on the number of the same offense committed. The law enforcers apprehended 701 of the 1,284 riders for reckless driving while 580 riders were accosted for failure to comply with the installation of barriers while having a back-rider other than their spouses or live-in partners.
