
By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN
Lawmakers have scored the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) over its proposal to place a divider between the driver and its passenger before allowing back-riding couples to ply the roads again.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto questioned the use of a barrier, noting that couples “hold hands in going to the motorcycle, and kiss each other goodbye after the ride.”
According to Recto, proposed installation of barrier to motorcycles is only “effective as installing a concrete road divider on the matrimonial bed.”
“Isn’t the protection offered them by the motorcycle barrier during the day cancelled by their intimacy at night?” said Recto.
Recto ha raised concern that the barrier installation “will compromise the roadworthiness of the bike and the safety of driver and passenger.”
He stressed that although he do commend well-meaning initiatives to get breadwinners who ride pillion on motorbikes on the road again, the IATF’s suggestion “should get the green light from science.”
“Before we flag this off, can we please subject it to test runs and workshop review by experts?” he said.
“Or can we just ask health experts if a couple who sleep together at night without masks can safely ride a motorcycle together with masks and helmets on?” Recto added.
Meanwhile, Party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong (An Probinsyano) warned that dividers on motorcycles are not only useless but dangerous and “it would be better if it would just scrap its requirement.”
Ong, a member of the House committee on transportion said placing a divider between back-riding couples is not only useless and impractical but it “also poses great danger not just to motorcycle riders but also to other motorists and pedestrians.”
“I don’t see any reason why a divider or a shield is required for couples who eat, sleep and even take a bath together. Nagbibigay lang ng matinding peligro sa kalsada yang shield na yan,” said Ong.
Ong stressed that this requirement to place dividers on motorcycle is now the subject of complaints among riders as it has become a convenient tool for extortion by corrupt traffic enforcers.
“Nagkalat na ang mga post sa Facebook ng mga reklamo dahil sa ginagawang mga pangongotong ng mga traffic enforcers natin,” said Ong.
Ong said that instead of a physical divider or a shield being installed on motorcycles, riders should just be required to wear full-face helmets, face masks, long sleeves shirts or jackets, long pants, gloves and closed shoes.
Ong earlier has made repeated calls to the IATF-EID to lift the ban for motorcycles with back riders who are family members.
He argued that although it takes an extra effort for checkpoint personnel to verify the relationship of all back-riding motorcycle riders, the IATF should also consider the sacrifices and the hardships that the public is going through because of the inadequacy of public transport.
The lawmaker said that allowing motorcycle riders to ferry their family members is actually safer than compelling them to take public transportation along with complete strangers who are all potential COVID-19 virus carriers.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
No comments:
Post a Comment