MANILA, Philippines — Motorcycles are constant fixtures on the roads, weaving between vehicles and traversing narrow alleys, sometimes while carrying three to four passengers. They are even preferred by some motorists because they can break free from traffic jams during the rush hour.
But their increasing number on the road has also come with a rising number of accidents, as shown by government statistics.
This has prompted Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento to file a bill requiring all motorcycle owners and drivers to undergo a Motorcycle Safety Riding Seminar, where they would be taught the fundamental skills in avoiding accidents, oriented on traffic rules and trained on road safety precautions.
In his explanatory note to the bill, Sarmiento cited a report from the Metropolitan Road Safety Unit that stated that motorcycle-riding has had the highest fatality rate in Metro Manila.
He pointed to statistic showing that from 2006 up to 2010, the number of motorcycle accidents rose.
In 2006, motorcycles had the highest percentage of road accidents at 29.59 percent. It rose to 32.4 percent in 2007, then to 34.96 percent the following year. In 2009, it was 36.78 percent, and rose to 37.63 percent in 2010.
“These facts are dauntingly alarming,” he said.
“Despite various efforts both of public and private agencies to curtail these accidents, it is still indubitable that at the heart of this problem is the lack of education of most motorcycle drivers as to the proper road safety measures that will make their lives on the road easier,” he added.
He said his proposal for training would cover the owners and drivers of motorcycles, including tricycles, motor scooters or habal-habal. The proposal also includes drivers of common carriers such as habal habal and tricycles who do not own the legal titles to the motorcycles.
The dealers from whom motorcycle owners bought the vehicles would have to conduct the safety riding seminar, and could charge a maximum registration fee of P300. The seminar would also be a pre-requisite for registration.
For those who bought their motorcycles before the safety seminar was required, they would have to take this during the motorcycles’ annual registration the following year.
Sarmiento also proposed that motorcycle dealers who fail to conduct the safety seminar would be fined P10,000. The same fine goes for public officers who register a motorcycle without the certification that the owner had completed the seminar.
For motorcycle owners and drivers who operate the motorcycle without completing the seminar, the fine would be P1,000.
The Department of Transportation and Communication would be tasked to issue the implementing rules, regulations, orders, and circulars to implement the program.