Better rider training is only half the solution

EARLIER this week, state pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced a partnership to establish a Motorcycle Riding Academy, using part of the GSIS property located along Julia Vargas in Pasig City. The idea is a good start to addressing the persistent problem of unskilled and undisciplined motorcycle riders resulting in traffic congestion and a high number of accidents. However, it is at best only a start, and much more needs to be done.

According to a statement from the GSIS, the riding academy will be offered free of charge to government employees and is intended to only be temporary, although how long it might be in place was left open-ended by the agreement between the GSIS and MMDA. GSIS is providing the space to host the training facility, while MMDA will fund the construction of the academy, the building of training structures and any necessary renovation to the GSIS property.

“The Motorcycle Riding Academy is envisioned to serve as a platform for empowering riders, instilling a culture of responsible and defensive driving, and promoting safer road practices,” the GSIS said. Recent data from the MMDA shows that there are 40 motorcycle accidents per day on average in Metro Manila, while the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that there was a total of 4,029 accidents involving motorcycles nationwide in just the first four months (January-April) of this year, an average of about 34 per day.

“These alarming figures serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to ensure the safety of both our riders and commuters. GSIS acted on MMDA’s request without any hesitation, recognizing the critical importance of safeguarding lives,” GSIS President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso said.

Motorcycles are in general an excellent transportation option here in the Philippines, and especially in heavily congested Metro Manila and other urban areas. They are relatively inexpensive to own and operate, versatile, and have much less environmental impact than other road vehicles. Their use should be encouraged and supported by the relevant government agencies to whatever extent they can.

However, the relationship between the public and motorcycle users is quite problematic because motorcycle users who are properly trained and operate their vehicles conscientiously with respect to traffic regulations, other road users and pedestrians are clearly a minority here. The large majority of motorcycle drivers on Metro Manila streets and roads are evident scofflaws, ignoring even the most basic rules of the road. As a result, while motorcycles should help to ease traffic congestion, they often become a cause of it, and, of course, as the MMDA and PNP statistics indicate, they pose an outsize safety risk to themselves and others.

Properly training motorcycle riders in handling their vehicles as well as the rules of the road is a good initiative, and the GSIS deserves credit for stepping forward to facilitate it. However, what we would have liked to have heard from the MMDA side of the partnership is an acknowledgment of the glaring need to improve traffic enforcement when it comes to motorcycles, which most of the public perceives as being practically nonexistent. Human nature being what it is, consistent enforcement of traffic regulations is necessary to demonstrate that there are consequences for vehicle operators — motorcycle or otherwise — for choosing not to follow traffic rules and safe practices.

To be fair to the MMDA, part of its shortcomings in thorough, consistent traffic enforcement are not the agency’s fault; political quibbling among the various city governments on such matters such as the no-contact enforcement policy and the single-ticket system has certainly not helped make the MMDA’s job easier. Likewise, the Land Transportation Office’s chronic lag in issuing vehicle plates, making identification of erring vehicles and drivers more difficult, has also been an obstacle. Nevertheless, these are not new problems; and there is much more the MMDA could do to improve its performance. Putting some effort toward that end would maximize the benefits it hopes to achieve by creating the new Motorcycle Riding Academy. — Catherine S. Valente

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