Makati bans children from riding bikes

IT is now illegal for motorcycle and tricycle drivers in Makati City to carry small children.

Mayor Abigail Binay said the city council has passed Ordinance - dren’s Safety in Tricycles and Motorcycles Ordinance of the City of Makati,” which strictly prohibits driving a motorcycle with a child on board.

For a child to ride a motorbike, certain conditions should be met: the child’s feet can comfortably reach the foot peg of the motorcycle; the child’s arms can reach around and grasp the waist of the driver; and the child is wearing a standard protective helmet which bears a Philippine Standard (PS) or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark.

“The only exception provided by the ordinance is for cases where the minor or child being transported requires immediate medical attention,” Binay said in a statement.

The mayor endorsed the passage of the ordinance in light of frequent reports on road crashes involving children as victims.

“Local governments must take swift and definitive action to arrest the growing number of children injured or killed in road crashes involving motorcycles and tricycles. It is our duty to use the powers vested in us to enact and implement laws that complement and strengthen national laws, and ensure these are strictly enforced in our own localities,” Binay said.

She urged parents of minors to be proactive and warn their children to avoid riding at the backseat of tricycles.

The mayor appealed to tricycle drivers, especially those hired to ferry young schoolchildren, to be always mindful of the safety of their passengers.

Tricycle and motorcycle drivers who violate the ordinance will be maximum of six months, or both for the third offense.