Motorcycle back-riding will be allowed for couples starting July 10, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced Thursday.
In a dzMM interview, Año said that the National Task Force Covid-19 had given the green light to allow couples to share a motorcycle, as long as they wore face masks and crash helmets, and use a barrier following Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap’s model.
Yap’s model uses a shield between rider and passenger to limit physical contact.
Couples should also bring identification cards showing they have the same last names or address, for presentation at checkpoints.
Año previously said that motorcycle back-riding amid the Covid-19 pandemic was a violation of physical distancing protocols.
The interior chief also encouraged the public to come up with back-riding shield designs to be approved by a technical working group.
The country’s transport, science and technology, health, and trade and industry departments, along with the Metro Manila Development Authority and Bureau of Philippine Standards, have yet to release official protocols for back-riding. John Ezekiel J. Hirro