Recto raises concern over safety issues on installation of barriers on motorcyles, asks for test runs and review

Recently, DILG allowed back-riding for travelers provided they follow the guidelines that National Task Force (NTF) has drafted. However, Ralph Recto, Senate President Pro Tempore, raised concerns over the safety issues of having such an installation, asking whether it was even necessary for couples riding in tandem.

Photo credit: rmn.ph

He has then asked officials involved in the government’s pandemic response to conduct 'test runs' and review the essentiality of having plastic barriers installed on motorcycles as a supposed measure to control the spread of the coronavirus.

“What’s the use of a barrier when couples hold hands in going to the motorcycle, and kiss each other goodbye after the ride?’’ he said in a statement. “As a virus shield, it is as effective as installing a concrete road divider on the matrimonial bed.”

He said that there would be no use for the divider if couples get intimate at home and there have also been concerns that having such dividers could compromise the safety of motorcycle riders.

“Please don’t get me wrong, I do commend well-meaning initiatives to get breadwinners who ride pillion on motorbikes on the road again, but such [measures] 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.

Requiring motorbikes to have plastic barriers was a step toward gradually easing travel restrictions in areas under community quarantine. More people, not just couples, would eventually be permitted to ride tandem according to Police Lt. Gen Guillermo Eleazar, the chief of the Joint Task Force COVID-19 Shield. 

It is also allowed for same-sex couples to ride together, as long as they live together. They just need to show IDs or a barangay certification showing that they live in the same address.

Netizens show disapproval of the required design. They also have the same sentiments that there is no use for such barrier since couples end up in the same house and bed. Others also said that it's not safe and would only cause trouble.