JV Ejercito won’t support Anti-Lane Splitting Bill, mandatory club registration for motorcycle riders
As a motorcycle rider, Senator Joseph Victor
“JV” Ejercito said he is not inclined to support the Anti-Lane Splitting Bill
and Motorcycle Rider Safety Act.
Should these bills become law, Ejercito said
they could potentially worsen traffic and affect courier and delivery services
that help the economy.
“Rest assured that the two bills – the
Anti-Lane Splitting and mandatory membership in organizations from Congress – I
will not support (them) and make sure it doesn’t pass in the Senate,” he said.
House Bill No. 1419 seeks to penalize
motorcycle riders who attempt to pass between rows of vehicles on the same
road, especially during heavy traffic.
Ejercito explained that lane splitting lessens
the exposure of motorcycle riders to pollution, bad weather, and other
dangerous elements by reducing the time they spend in traffic.
“Maaring mas maging harmful sa ating mga
motorcycle riders ang pagbabawal sa lane splitting. May mga bansa na ginawang
legal ang lane splitting dahil base sa kanilang pag-aaral, mas ligtas para sa
mga motorcycle riders ang lane sharing,” he said.
“Other than prohibiting lane splitting, it
would be better for the government to develop guidelines on how we can
implement safe lane splitting or lane sharing. Let us always focus on how to
make our road safe,” he added.
The lawmaker from San Juan said the proposed
measure discriminates against motorcycle drivers, arguing that most riders
cannot afford to buy larger vehicles and other forms of vehicles are not
subject to the same regulations.
Moreover, he said the imposition of new
regulations and penalties exclusive to motorcycles will have a heavier impact
on economically disadvantaged riders.
“Para sa isang rider na limitado ang
kakayahan, malayo na sana ang mararating ng ₱5,000.00—pagkain para sa pamilya;
pambayad sa upa sa bahay; o mismong pambayad sa buwanang hulog sa motor,”
Ejercito said.
Meanwhile, House Bill No. 32 aims to require
motorcycle riders to join accredited clubs prior to vehicle registration and
license renewal.
Ejercito said this proposed requirement on
motorcycle riders will inevitably transfer the responsibility of law
enforcement from traffic enforcers to motorcycle clubs.
Moreover, such a requirement will impose an
additional layer of bureaucracy and new expenses on the part of motorcycle
riders, he said.
“Let’s not punish our fellow riders with
unnecessary expenses. Our economic situation is already difficult with the
ongoing pandemic,” Ejercito said.
The Senator called on Congress to prioritize
amendments to Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.
Senate Bill No. 159, which Ejercito filed as
one of his priority bills for the 19th Congress, seeks to replace the mandatory
installation of oversized license plates in front of motorcycles with a
radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner system.
The measure also aims to reduce the penalties
stated in RA 11235 and align them with the penalties imposed on four-wheeled
vehicles.
“Sa paggamit ng RFID scanners, maiiwasan ang
diskriminasyon sa mga riders at mababawasan ang abala. Kung hindi nakaalarma
ang motor, tuloy-tuloy lang ang biyahe ng ride,” he said.
