Guv, mayor welcome move to lift ban on back-riding

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on Saturday welcomed Resolution No. 47 issued by the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases June 19, 2020, which recommended the lifting of the ban on motorcycle back-riding.

In a text message sent to Daily Guardian, Treñas said that the move will be a relief for families who only have motorcycles as the chief mode of transportation.

Treñas on May 19 sent a letter to IATF Co-chairpersons, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, appealing to allow motorcycle back-riding for couples living in the same household, especially for frontliners.

“It is going to be a relief especially for families that only have motorcycles as their only means of transportation. It only shows that the IATF also listens to the plea of the people,” the mayor said.

Defensor told Daily Guardian that he hopes that his proposed design for motorcycles would be considered by the IATF in its guidelines.

The governor on June 5 unveiled the design, which he submitted to the Land Transportation Office (LTO), consisting of a non-porous plastic divider that is similar to the motorcycle’s front shield, with two handlebars on each side.

The design was inspired by “tandem bikes” used mainly in European countries like The Netherlands.

“That is very good news. But we hope that they will adopt our ‘angkas’ design,” the governor said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Saturday that the IATF recommended the creation of a Technical Working Group composed of the Department of Transportation, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Health, and the Metro Manila Development Authority, to craft the guidelines on motorcycle back-riding.

Defensor and Treñas have both allowed motorcycle back-riding during the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) period from May 16 to 31.

This, however, was quickly rebuffed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO-6) after Regional Director Eric Lenard Tabaldo wrote the two local chief executives asking them to harmonize their GCQ executive orders with their central office’s Memorandum Circular No. 2020-2185 which bans motorcycle back-riding.

LTO-6 spokesperson Riza Otayde said that the purpose of the ban was in line with the IATF’s physical distancing rules, to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).