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Thousands of motorcycle riders hold unity ride vs. Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law


Thousands of motorcycle riders trooped to the People Power Monument on EDSA on Sunday morning to hold a National Unity Ride to oppose the law seeking to prevent the use of motorcycles in crimes by mandating bigger plates and other identification marks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Citing information from the Quezon City Police District Station 8, more than 10,000 riders gathered in front of the monument for a program during the unity ride, blocking three lanes along the northbound side of EDSA-White Plains area, according to a report by Super Radyo dzBB's Luisito Santos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motorcycle riders' organizations however, said 50,000 to 100,000 riders joined the unity ride, according to a report by Bernadette Reyes on GMA News TV's Balitanghali.

Journalist Jay Taruc, host of the TV show Ride PH on GMA, was among those who took part in the unity ride.

 

 

 

 

According to the Balitanghali report, the riders also said the P50,000 fine for violating the law is too steep.

Following the program, the motorcade commenced from the People Power Monument to the Trinoma area in the north part of EDSA. It then took a U-turn to the EDSA southbound lane going to the SM Mall of Asia before proceeding to the Macapagal and Diokno Boulevards then to the Senate where the unity ride ended.

 

 

Traffic flow along EDSA-White Plains area became heavy as only two lanes were passable due to the gathering in front of the People Power Monument.

Upon reaching the Senate gates before 10 a.m., the riders simultaneously blew their horns in protest.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 motorcyle riders from Quezon, Batangas, and Laguna staged their own unity ride in Tiaong, Quezon to protest the said law.

Under the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 8, the Land Transportation Office is mandated to issue bigger, readable and color-coded license plates to every motorcycle in the country.

The plate numbers should be big enough to be readable from a distance of at least 15 meters from the motorcycle.

But transport groups opposed the use of bigger license plates for motorcycles, saying that it may endanger the rider and the pedestrians.

"If we place plates that are too big and will be affected by wind, there's no assurance that the mounting points will hold these plates in place," Joebert Bolanos of Riders of the Philippines told a House hearing in January last year.

Meanwhile, Land Transportation Office chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said Sunday they will consult riders in drafting the Implementing Rules and Regulations of newly approved law Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act. —Erwin Colcol/KG/LBG, GMA News

Tags: nationalunityride, motorcyclecrimepreventionact, unityride, motorcycleriders, dobleplaka
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