EDITORIAL - Año just doesn’t get it

Even after all that the experts have said, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año still doesn’t seem to understand that motorcycles barriers will not serve the purpose for which they are intended and may even become dangerous to both the driver and his rider.

In a report in Philstar.com, Año told critics of the barrier, who have repeatedly insisted that the barriers are unsafe and could cause accidents, to just listen to the government.

“Study the issue. On motorcycles, you are experts but you cannot say you are experts on the pandemic,” he is quoted as saying in the same report.

Yes, it is true that motorcycles experts aren’t experts on the pandemic, but then neither is Año. And Año said it himself; when it comes to these vehicles, motorcycle experts are experts.

If we have to cite opinions against the barrier again, there was Cebu motocrosser Pepo Rubi who said that a barrier will act like a sail should the motorcycle move at high speed or encounter strong winds. Then there was the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers that said there is no guarantee that the driver will be protected from the passenger or vice-versa because of the movement of air around the barrier.

Even after everything he is pushing for, it is also unlikely Año himself will ever drive the highways of any city wearing a motorcycle barrier. Yes, he did show how he could drive around in one, but he did it in a confined space and in a controlled environment where he did not encounter the normal things those who use their motorcycles on a daily basis do.

Realizing how dangerous the barriers can become, some cities have even announced that they will not be requiring motorcycle drivers to wear or use barriers, further infuriating Año.

But not all may be lost. As stated in the same report, Año said he is actually open to ideas from motorcycle experts on how to address this problem. This is good because at least he is showing he is open to other solutions.

With any luck someone will come up with a working solution before accidents involving barriers start to happen.