Council OK's ordinance prohibiting toddlers from riding motorcycles
All children from zero to four years old are no longer allowed to ride motorcycles plying routes within this city as per Ordinance 2008-394 approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod just recently.
Councilor Nielex Tupas authored an ordinance requiring drivers and passengers of motorcycles, motorized scooters or motor bicycles plying along city streets and national highways to wear standard helmets and prohibiting minors below five years old to ride.
Under the ordinance, the driver incurs liabilities for 'driving without a helmet, driving with unstrapped helmet, allowing a passenger to ride without helmet and allowing a minor below five years old to ride regardless of whether or not the child is wearing a helmet.'
Tupas said based on a study he has conducted, 'minors are much exposed to risk of injuries and death while riding motorcycles due to their tender age.'
However, for practical reasons, the ordinance will allow minors five years old and above provided that they will use standard helmets, he said.
Violators will be fined P500 in first offense, P1,000 for second offense and P2,000 for third offense.
Data from the Traffic Management and Engineering Unit (TMEU) disclosed that some 15,336 registered motorcycles are operating in the city but only 10,726 are for personal use and the rest are utilized as tricycles.
In 2007, a total of 628 motorcycles were recorded to be involved in accidents; while from May to September, the cases were recorded at 292.
"This means that an average of 40 to 50 accidents occur monthly," Tupas said.
Only last month, a city hall employee, together with his wife and daughter, were killed when they figured in an accident while riding a motorcycle. They were not wearing helmets when the accident occurred. (PNA)