In this photo taken July 22, 2023, motorcycle riders, including armed police riding in tandem, take shelter under the beams of one of the MRT train stations still under construction along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. Philippine Daily Inquirer/Lyn Rillon
MANILA, Philippines — The party-list representative of motorcycle riders in Congress is urging the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to bring back designated lay-bys exclusive for motorbikes.
According to 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Bonifacio Bosita, motorcycles stopping below flyovers or footbridges to temporarily shelter from the rain may be considered a traffic obstruction, but the MMDA should provide solutions for the riders.
He said providing shelters at the side of a road where motorcycle riders can stop briefly to wait for the rain to end without obstructing traffic could be one of them.
Bosita noted that former MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos provided special lay-bys exclusively for motorcycle riders. But, he claimed, incumbent MMDA chairman Romando Artes removed these areas.
“Noong siya (Abalos) pa ang chairman ng MMDA, siya po ay naglaan na area kung saan exclusively para sa mga riders sa mga ganitong tag-ulan. Tinanggal po ng MMDA nang umupo si chairman Artes. Talagang baliktad nga po; dapat dinagdagan pa, hindi tinanggal,” Bosita said over Radyo 630.
(When he [Abalos] was still chairman of the MMDA, he allocated an area exclusively for riders during the rainy season. The MMDA removed it when chairman Artes assumed. It’s really the other way around; more of it should have been designated, not removed.)
READ: MMDA opens Edsa lay-by area for motorcycle riders’ shelter during rainfall
Bosita’s appeal came as Artes recently announced the MMDA would be stricter in enforcing the rule against motorcycle riders stopping under footbridges to take shelter amid rain. He said violators would be fined P1,000 for road obstruction.
Artes said riders can stop at the side of the road to wear their rain gear, but lingering there to wait for the rain to end is prohibited because it can cause traffic hazards and congestion.
“Inuulit ko po, hindi ipinagbabawal ang pagsilong sa tabi para magsuot ng rain gear. Ang ipinagbabawal ay ang pagtambay at paghihintay sa gitna ng daan para magpatila ng ulan sapagkat ito ay delikado at nagdudulot ng traffic congestion,” the MMDA chief said.
(I repeat, taking shelter to wear rain gear is allowed. It is prohibited to hang out and wait in the middle of the road for the rain to stop because it is dangerous and causes traffic congestion.)