LOOK: Motorcycle prototype to allow pillion ride OKd by gov’t

Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap’s prototype of the motorcycle model to allow pillion rides. /DILG

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s task force against COVID-19 has approved a motorcycle design allowing a passenger to ride at the back of the driver as pillion rides for couples will start on Friday, July 10.

Photos from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) showed the Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap’s model, which installed a divider between the rider and passenger on a motorcycle. The protective barrier also has safety handles for the passenger.

The height of the barrier is 0.85 meters, but the DILG said the height might vary “depending on the motorcycle type.”

DILG PHOTO

Aside from barriers, riders and passengers must wear face masks and helmets to ensure that they are safe from COVID-19 as well as accidents.

In a statement, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said couples living in the same households should present their identification cards to authorities to ensure that they are following the government’s rules.

“The ID must have similar last names and if they are common-law husband and wife, they need to have the same address on the ID. There are so many ways to prove that indeed they are a couple,” Año said. [ac]

DILG PHOTO