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Friday, March 29, 2024

Makati bans kids riding on motorbikes

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Motorcycles with children on board are now banned in the city of Makati.

The City Council on Monday passed Ordinance No. 2017-135 (Children’s Safety in Tricycles and Motorcycles Ordinance of the City of Makati), which strictly prohibits driving a motorcycle with a child on board.

Riders with children on board are only allowed unless all of the following conditions are met: 1) the child’s feet can comfortably reach the foot peg of the motorcycle; 2) the child’s arms can reach around and grasp the waist of the driver; and 3) the child is wearing a standard protective helmet, which bears a Philippine Standard or Import Commodity Clearance mark.

The ordinance also banned tricycles operating anywhere within the city from conveying minors in front or at the back of the driver’s seat.

The only exception provided by the ordinance is for cases where the minor or child to be transported requires immediate medical attention.

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Mayor Abigail Binay endorsed the passage of the ordinance in light of frequent news reports on road crashes involving children as victims, not only in the metropolis but in the provinces as well.

“Local governments must take swift and definitive action to arrest the growing number of children injured or killed in road crashes involving motorcycles and tricycles. It is our duty to use the powers vested in us to enact and implement laws that complement and strengthen national laws, and ensure these are strictly enforced in our own localities,” she said.

Binay also urged parents of minors to be proactive and warn their children to avoid riding on the backseat of tricycles since they would be highly vulnerable to injury, even death, in case the vehicle meets a collision or road crash.

The mayor appealed to tricycle drivers, especially those hired to ferry young schoolchildren, to be always mindful of the safety of their passengers and prioritize safety over earning a living.

She also said they should maintain their vehicles’ roadworthiness and keep them clean for the health and safety of their passengers.

Tricycle and motorcycle drivers who violate the ordinance will be penalized as follows: P2,000 on the first offense; P3,000 on the second offense; P5,000 or imprisonment of a maximum of six months, or both on the third offense.

The ordinance was published last Dec. 12 in a newspaper of general circulation, and will take effect after 10 days, according to the Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Makati.

The ordinance defines “minors” as persons below 18 years of age or those over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition.

According to the World Health Organization 2015 Global Status Report, around 53 percent of road crashes in the country involve motorcycles, while an estimated 96 Filipino children fall victim to road crashes every day.

Meanwhile, Republic Act  10054 or the "Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009” requires motorcycle riders and back riders to wear a standard protective motorcycle helmet compliant with the standards set by the Bureau of Product Standards and bears a PS or ICC mark.

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