CEBU CITY – Local officials in Consolacion town and the cities of Carcar and Talisay in Cebu province have appealed to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to allow motorcycle drivers to carry one passenger, especially in remote villages unreachable to four-wheel vehicles.
DOTr said motorcycles are prohibited from having passengers and instead encourage the use of bicycles. It said the ban on back riders is part of the safety guidelines that reduce contact, transmission, and spread of the coronavirus disease.
Talisay Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas and Carcar City Vice Mayor Nicepuro Apura and and Mayor Joannes Alegado of Consolacion town said allowing motorcycle back-riding would help address the problem on lack of transport services in their areas, especially in far-flung villages unreachable to four-wheel vehicles.
Gullas appealed to DOTs to allow motorcycle back-riding for spouses and members of the same family. “I would like to appeal that back-riding for motorcycles because it is the main transportation in the city, especially for family members,” Gullas said.
When the community quarantine protocols began in Cebu last March, the DOTr announced the ban on motorcycle back-riding, even between family members, to avoid close contact which may cause transmission of coronavirus disease.
Gullas said, however, that he is hoping DOTr would look at the situation on the ground. “Hopefully, they can reconsider their position,” he said.
For his part, Apura said motorcycles have already become a means of public transportation which have been patronized by city folks. “There may be no harm in allowing a couple as driver and back-rider of a motorcycle,” he said, adding that checkpoint personnel could ascertain if the back-rider is indeed the spouse of the driver by asking them to show proof.
He maintained that measures could be implemented to prevent the occurrence of traffic congestion when motorcycles would be stopped to check the relationship between the motorcycle driver and the back-rider.
Alegado said he prefers motorcycle taxis as a mode of transportation since physical distancing is usually not observed in four-wheel vehicles being used to transport commuters. He noted that motorcycle drivers could wear masks and use alcohol as sanitizers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to their back-rider.
According to DOTs, transportation in moderate and low-risk areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) resumed operations at reduced capacity to ensure compliance with strict safety measures against Covid-19.
“Public transportation in the road sector will be available in areas declared under GCQ but we will strictly impose health safety standards at all times to ensure the safety of our drivers and passengers,” said DOTr Assistant Secretary for the Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Richmund de Leon.
All permitted PUVs (public utility vehicles) and transport terminals and operators must adhere to all three essential components dictated in the protocol and guidelines - safety, capacity and coverage and scope.
Safety refers to guidelines that reduce contact, transmission, and spread of the virus through the mandatory use of face masks and gloves for drivers. Thorough disinfecting practices of vehicles, terminals, and even among passengers are also required.
Capacity and passenger load factors will be required for each mode of transportation to ensure that physical distancing is followed. Passenger load for public utility buses and public utility jeepneys should not exceed 50 percent or half of the vehicle’s capacity, excluding driver and conductor.
For UV Express and taxis, passenger load should not exceed two passengers per row, except for the driver’s row where only one passenger is allowed. Tricycles, on the other hand, must not exceed one passenger in the side-car, while back-riding will not be allowed.
As for private vehicle owners, private cars and motorcycles will be allowed to operate for the purpose of essential travels as defined by the Inter-Agency Task Force. Cars will only be allowed one passenger to occupy the front passenger seat, while front-facing seats shall not exceed two passengers per row. (John Rey Saavedra. With additional report from Cebu Examiner.)
DOTr said motorcycles are prohibited from having passengers and instead encourage the use of bicycles. It said the ban on back riders is part of the safety guidelines that reduce contact, transmission, and spread of the coronavirus disease.
Talisay Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas and Carcar City Vice Mayor Nicepuro Apura and and Mayor Joannes Alegado of Consolacion town said allowing motorcycle back-riding would help address the problem on lack of transport services in their areas, especially in far-flung villages unreachable to four-wheel vehicles.
Gullas appealed to DOTs to allow motorcycle back-riding for spouses and members of the same family. “I would like to appeal that back-riding for motorcycles because it is the main transportation in the city, especially for family members,” Gullas said.
When the community quarantine protocols began in Cebu last March, the DOTr announced the ban on motorcycle back-riding, even between family members, to avoid close contact which may cause transmission of coronavirus disease.
Gullas said, however, that he is hoping DOTr would look at the situation on the ground. “Hopefully, they can reconsider their position,” he said.
For his part, Apura said motorcycles have already become a means of public transportation which have been patronized by city folks. “There may be no harm in allowing a couple as driver and back-rider of a motorcycle,” he said, adding that checkpoint personnel could ascertain if the back-rider is indeed the spouse of the driver by asking them to show proof.
He maintained that measures could be implemented to prevent the occurrence of traffic congestion when motorcycles would be stopped to check the relationship between the motorcycle driver and the back-rider.
Alegado said he prefers motorcycle taxis as a mode of transportation since physical distancing is usually not observed in four-wheel vehicles being used to transport commuters. He noted that motorcycle drivers could wear masks and use alcohol as sanitizers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to their back-rider.
According to DOTs, transportation in moderate and low-risk areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) resumed operations at reduced capacity to ensure compliance with strict safety measures against Covid-19.
“Public transportation in the road sector will be available in areas declared under GCQ but we will strictly impose health safety standards at all times to ensure the safety of our drivers and passengers,” said DOTr Assistant Secretary for the Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Richmund de Leon.
All permitted PUVs (public utility vehicles) and transport terminals and operators must adhere to all three essential components dictated in the protocol and guidelines - safety, capacity and coverage and scope.
Safety refers to guidelines that reduce contact, transmission, and spread of the virus through the mandatory use of face masks and gloves for drivers. Thorough disinfecting practices of vehicles, terminals, and even among passengers are also required.
Capacity and passenger load factors will be required for each mode of transportation to ensure that physical distancing is followed. Passenger load for public utility buses and public utility jeepneys should not exceed 50 percent or half of the vehicle’s capacity, excluding driver and conductor.
For UV Express and taxis, passenger load should not exceed two passengers per row, except for the driver’s row where only one passenger is allowed. Tricycles, on the other hand, must not exceed one passenger in the side-car, while back-riding will not be allowed.
As for private vehicle owners, private cars and motorcycles will be allowed to operate for the purpose of essential travels as defined by the Inter-Agency Task Force. Cars will only be allowed one passenger to occupy the front passenger seat, while front-facing seats shall not exceed two passengers per row. (John Rey Saavedra. With additional report from Cebu Examiner.)
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