Thousands of motorcyclists ride to protest proposed ban on riding pillion

Thousands of motorcycle riders rode down EDSA on Sunday to protest against proposed anti-crime policies that target motorcyclists.

 

According to a report aired on "Balitanghali" Sunday, thousands of riders rode in a convoy to protest proposals to ban passengers and to require them to wear vests printed with their motorcycle's license numbers.

The ride was also in protest of proposals to require motorcyclists to wear white helmets and have their helmets registered with the barangay government, as well as a proposed 30-kph speed limit.

 

More than a thousand riders converged in Valenzuela City Sunday morning before meeting up with hundreds more at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, the report said.

The convoy went around the Circle before heading to the People Power Shrine on EDSA and onward to Pasay City.

 

"Hindi porke't motorsiklo ang gamit ng mga kriminal, e puwede na nila tayong limitahan, pagbintangan, tratuhin at pag-pasanin na tila sangkot tayo sa mga gawain ng mga hangal. Biktima din tayo tulad ng lahat ng kababayan natin dahil kaisa tayo ng publiko," Jobert Bolanos of Motorcycle Rights Organization, one of the organizers of the protest ride said on the group's Facebook page.
 

In an e-mailed statement,  Wilson Fortaleza, spokesman for labor group Partido ng Manggagawa, said the proposed policies are "not only unconstitutional but also anti-worker."

 

He said motorcycles are a popular mode of transportation among workers because they are more affordable and can weave through heavy traffic.

Fortaleza said although motorcycles have been used in crimes, "not all riders are criminals, and thus do not deserve a ‘person of interest’ kind of profiling."

 

He said many government employees, including members of the Philippine National Police and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, ride motorcycles too.

 

According to an earlier report, Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada is considering a ban on "riding in tandem", or riding pillion, to curb crime committed by crooks on motorbikes.

 

The Quezon City Police District has also been urging motorcyclists to wear vests with their license numbers printed on the back.

 

Although the proposals have yet to become city ordinances, it is common for police to flag down motorcycle riders to check registration papers.

 

"Solving street crimes must be a collective effort. One way to do it is for law enforcers to be in close coordination with legitimate, organized riders’ clubs, not by intimidating them," Fortaleza said. — JDS, GMA News