Año defends motorbike barrier rule anew

MANILA, Philippines — Critics of the motorcycle barrier for back-riders should study the issue and offer solutions, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday.

He told motorcycle experts and enthusiasts who described the barriers as unsafe and could lead to accidents to listen to the government.

“Study the issue. On motorcycles, you are experts but you cannot say you are experts on the pandemic,” he told reporters in Filipino.

“Let’s just wait when you are infected, then comment. Your perspective in life will change once you get sick or a member of your family needs an intubator, ICU, medical ventilator,” he said, referring to intensive care units.

Año cited other countries such as Indonesia, which have introduced a backpack-style shield for its motorcycle taxis.

He said the barrier is meant to curb the transmission of COVID-19, citing that around 30 percent of motorcycle riders take off their helmets along the road, based on closed-circuit television footage collated in the country.

The government has allowed back-riding for couples in general community quarantine areas and for frontliners in modified enhanced community quarantine areas.