AKO BICOL PARTY-LIST
REP. ALFREDO A. GARBIN, JR.
Vice-Chair, Committee on Justice
Member, Committee on Transportation
One of House Authors, (RA 11469) Bayanihan to Heal As One Act
09177292437 | Twitter @AlfredoGarbin
COVID-19 SAFE MOBILITY OF MOTORCYCLE RIDERS, BACKRIDERS CAN BE DONE
I recently formally wrote to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to plead on behalf of motorcycle riders and their families. That letter is directly relevant to the current and urgent issue about transportation options of the poor, so those who are allowed to return to work under GCQ policies and rules can go to work and return to their homes after work.
I asked the IATF to consider six options and factors on how I believe motorcycle commutes with backriders can be safely done. I also presented the legal and logical bases for the options I presented.
The current ban against motorcycles with backriders is unjust to the poor, negates the goals of reopening the country’s economy, and defeats moves to supposedly prioritize the best interests of the people, particularly the poor and marginalized.
My suggestions have urgency because PUJs, the main mode of public transportation of the poor, are not allowed to ply their routes, while only the P2P buses are in operation only along EDSA, not along other routes where the commuters come from.
Even if the PUJs and PUBs are allowed to resume their passenger runs, they would do so under rules of limited capacity and therefore motorcycles would be needed to give more people mobility.