Motorcycle riders given until July 31 to install barriers — Eleazar

The deadline for the installation of motorcycle barriers is extended anew until July 31, Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Police Lieutenant General Guillermo said Friday.

"In effect, motorcycle riders were given three weeks grace period to comply with this requirement. This will be the most that the government, through our NTF Against COVID-19, could give for our motorcycle riders to comply in order for them to be allowed to back-ride their spouses or live-in partners,” Eleazar said in a press statement.

Eleazar explained that another extension of the deadline was given due to mounting requests from motorcycle riders to give them more time to comply with the number one requirement of back-riding.

Eleazar mentioned that motorcycle dealers across the country were already advised as to where motorcycle riders could avail of the approved barrier design. The barriers will also be made available in popular online stores.

He said police have also coordinated with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to ensure that substandard barriers will not go to the market.

The national government has allowed back-riding on July 10 provided that there would be a barrier between the driver and the backrider, and that pillion riding is limited to married couples and partners living in the same residences.

Since July 10, Eleazar said a total of 1,564 motorcycle riders have been accosted for "unauthorized back-riding," meaning they were neither spouses nor live-in partners.

Meanwhile, Eleazar said he had already coordinated with Philippine National Police chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa for the dissemination of the deadline extension to the police commanders and those manning and supervising quarantine checkpoints nationwide. — RSJ, GMA News