Task force preparing guidelines for back riding couples

July 9, 2020

Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Thursday said they are crafting guidelines that would be observed in allowing back riding couples to pass the Quarantine Control Points (QCPs).

Police Lt. General Guillermo Eleazar, JTF commander, said the focus of the guideline is more on health and safety of the riders and to make the policy fool-proof against those who pretend that they are a couple.

“First, they would do every alibi that they can think of just to circumvent the rules even if they are fully aware that what they are doing is wrong,” Eleazar said.

“Second, we want to prevent the people from making dividers that are not durable and will cause accidents on the road,” he added.

The National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 has approved back riding in motorcycles starting July 10 amid the requests from the public and other sectors due to the transportation problems.

Eleazar said he instructed the supervisors of the QCPs to check all the passing motorcycles to make sure they are indeed couples.

“But in busy roads when the checking would cause traffic jams, they would be allowed to pass unchecked but would be subjected to random inspection at the mobile checkpoints that would be set up by the PNP-Highway Patrol Group (HPG),” he said.

They also coordinated with PNP-HPG Director Brig. General Eliseo Cruz to deploy HPG personnel to form random mobile checkpoints, especially in Metro Manila and other urban areas.

 Eleazar advised the motorcycle riders to identification and other documents proving they are couples and living in the same address to facilitate the checking at the QCPs.

He said they are also waiting for the final decision and policy of the NTF Against COVID-19 in allowing motorcycle back riding. Ella Dionisio/DMS