Huli ka!

This is the third sighting this month. This guy was seen heading south on SLEX approaching the Alabang viaduct. His license plate was extremely faded but using Photoshop, we were able to make the plate number pop out. Looks like PH-6998.
Lemme see. First, no helmet. Second, the backrider is not from the PNP. Third, the plate number is faded. Three strikes and you're out!

Anyway, there was an old post here regarding a press release of then PNP Chief Avelino Razon regarding the PNP's motorcycle use policy, but the link in that post doesn't seem to work anymore. However, we've managed to capture a screen shot from the Daily Tribune of the same press release so we're posting it here.
Sure hope that the current PNP chief Jesus Verzosa takes action on these guys. They need to shape up if they want our respect.

Saw these guys last Sunday, December 7, on EDSA.
The van, which didn't have a rear license plate, was full of PNP. And the cop trailing them on his bike (license plate no. 4748-PG) didn't have a helmet. Tadtad pa ng police stickers yung mga sinasakyan nila.

Nananawagan po kay Director General Razon. Paki linis naman ng inyong bakuran para makita ng taong bayan na seryoso kayo sa pagpatupad ng inyong tungkulin.

Ha! Huli ka!

Check out this bike cop on a Sunday ride with what I assume is his son. It's good that he values his son's life, but he's in violation of at least two rules that I know of.
Anyway, the bike's plate number is SL3680 and the side marking is 33. Hope this guy get's reprimanded 'cos we're all sick and tired of seeing cops breaking the rules instead of enforcing them.

Quezon City Police District Director and Senior Superintendent Magtanngol Gatdula has issued a directive to all QC bike cops to wear their helmets when on board their bikes or lose two months pay and risk suspension. The directive even included penalties for the immediate superior of the erring cop on the basis of command responsibility.

This new directive was in response to the latest memorandum on the helmet regulation issued by Director Jefferson Soriano of the National Capital Regional Police Office to all five district directors. According to Soriano, previous directives were ignored.

Ignored?! Grabe naman talaga 'tong mga 'to. Kaya walang sumusunod sa mga batas dito sa 'pinas. Anyway, start sending in those snapshots of cops without helmets so we can help "educate" them.

LTO chief Alberto Suansing has announced that they will be pushing through with the implementation of the AO 2008-015. In his talk, he mentioned that they (meaning the MMDA and local government traffic enforcement) will be apprehending motorcycle riders who:
1. Wear flip-flops, sandals, slippers or being bare-footed while riding a motorcycle in major thoroughfares.
2. Carry more than one passenger as a back rider in national and city roads.
3. Drive without a helmet.

No mention, however, was made for the need to wear leather boots and heavy pants and jackets.

Also, Suansing also said that they are junking the PNP's petition to implement a two-plate policy for motorcycles. Read more about it here.

Update, October 1, 10:50pm:
A new article on the same topic states that bikers on less busy municipal roads and barangay roads can take on more than one rider. This should be good news, somewhat, for habal-habal drivers. At least, they'll still be able to continue loading up on passengers as long as they don't go on major roads. Unfortunately, it also says that the LTO is still open to implementing a two-plate policy, pending "public consultation." Read more about it here.

Found this totally unrelated thing while searching the 'net for the official guidelines for commemorative plates.

Anyway, it's a press release from the PNP last October regarding the use of their motorcycles. Basically, it says:
1. PNP motorcycles cannot be used as escorts for weddings, birthdays and funerals. They can only be used as escorts by "the President and other high-ranking officials of the land and foreign dignitaries are people needing immediate medical attentions or emergency assistance such as victims of accidents, calamities and other similar cases."
2. All riders, whether they be the driver and backriders, should always wear the proper PNP uniform and prescribed helmets. -- We suppose this means that civilians cannot ride unless it's an emergency.
3. PNP motorcycles being used in patrols should have license plates attached to them at all times. -- Shouldn't all PNP vehicles have red plates? We've seen quite a few PNP-driven bikes that are outfitted like official bikes, but are actually underpowered and have green plates. Are these official?

So if you guys see any violators, take a pic and send it in!

P.S. Can't seem to find any official commemorative plates guidelines. The closest we got to is this.

Pending bill to make helmets mandatory
Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. has filed a bill to make helmets mandatory for all motorcycle and scooter riders, including passengers. Tricycle drivers, however, are exempted.

Huh? You mean it isn't mandatory right now?

LTO centralizes registration of imported vehicles
LTO chief Reynaldo Berroya has announced that, starting immediately, the initial registration of all imported new and used vehicles will have to be done with the central office. Imports made under the government's Motor Vehicle Development Program (which I suppose are those imported by those with local manufacturing facilities, but I may be wrong) are exempted.

So mababawasan na yung mga bagong exotic cars dito sa 'pinas.

Gov't claims diesel to go down by P1
Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes has announced that they expect diesel prices to go down by as much as P1 per liter anytime between February 1 and 15. This will be a result of the 2 percentage point reduction in petroleum products that he will be endorsing. No reduction of unleaded is expected as savings on these will be used to subsidize diesel prices. Oil firms, however, have announced that prices of other petroleum products may be increased to make up for current under-recoveries.

Lahat nito, dahil kay George W. Hehehe.

Saw these guys on Ortigas Ave. at around 2:30pm.
Maski na angkas lang, dapat may helmet, diba?

Well, big white bikes mean PNP, right? Anyway, this guy was seen making a u-turn at the Ortigas Ave.-Lanuza intersection.
Obviously, there is a no u-turn sign there, which is why I am posting this. Tapos, wala pang helmet.

Too bad you can't make out the plate number.

This guy was seen on EDSA heading towards the MMDA building.
May helmet ngang dala, di naman ginagamit.

Quiapo traffic rerouted due to Black Nazarene
With the Feast of the Black Nazarene being celebrated today, traffic in Quiapo has been rerouted. Check the article for details on the rerouting scheme.

MMDA's pink line parking scheme
The MMDA has begun pilot testing their new pink line parking scheme on EDSA. The line is supposed to clearly delineate where the road ends and the sidewalk begins, and is targeted to curb illegal parking on major roads.

Kaya dapat walang tatawid sa pink line. Ang muhuling tumawid, bading!

MMDA likes motorcycles
The MMDA is NOT in favor of banning motorcycles from major roads. However, this doesn't mean that they will be providing exclusive lanes for them.

Considering that the majority of their enforcers get around on bikes, it'll be really stupid of them to support the proposed bill to ban them. Dapat talaga, hulihin na lang nila ang dapat hulihin para mabawasan ang mga aksidente.

One percentage point reduction in oil tariff planned
A one percentage point reduction in oil tariff has been announced by GMA today, in an effort to cushion the impact rising world oil prices on the local economy. Also, she has asked the oil companies to use the savings from the tax cut to bring down prices of diesel, instead of applying it across the board to all fuel products.

Another article also mentioned that despite the tariff cut, pump prices are still expected to rise on January 15.

Considering that our pump prices are among the highest in the region, I'm pretty sure there are a lot of other things that they can do bring prices down.

Tama ba 'yan?
Anyway, these were taken last night on Ortigas Ave. heading towards Santolan at around 6pm.

Because of the high mortality rates in accidents involving motorcycles, two representations from congress has filed a bill to ban all motorcycles from all main roads, thoroughfares and national highways.

Part of me is rejoicing 'cos a lot of these riders are reckless, discourteous and have no idea on how to drive their bikes properly. Lane splitting, swerving, stopping on pedestrian lanes, driving on sidewalks, lack of or useless placement of side/rearview mirrors, no helmets, the list just goes on and on.

But a bigger part of me thinks that instead of banning them, they should work more on educating these riders, tightening the controls on issuing of licenses, increasing the focus on traffic enforcement for bike riders, and ensuring that all motorcycles sold have the appropriate safety equipment. And, while they're at it, they should also apply these to drivers of all other types of vehicles, whether they be cars, buses or trucks. Now that's the way to cut down on traffic fatalities.

Anyway, read the full article here.

Took this while riding on a jeep on Pasong Tamo heading towards EDSA this morning.

Check out this bike cop. He ran the red light at EDSA-Santolan at around 2:54pm.

Caught this Skyway Patrol bike cop overtaking on the shoulder on SLEX approaching the C5 off-ramp at around 7:54pm.
Hay naku!

These guys were running around 25kph on the middle lane of SLEX.
I know we should respect the dearly departed, but inconveniencing others is going too far.

Also, those stupid police escorts started sounding their sirens when traffic started to pile up right after the C5 bridge. Ano akala nila? Tatabi dapat lahat ng tao para sa kanila?

Anyway, here's a picture one of those funeral rent-a-cops with his unregistered motorcycle.

This one was traveling around 45kph on C5.

Hoy! Mag-helmet naman kayo!
Anyway, these guys were seen on Banawe at around 2:56pm.

Here's another picture of a slow motorcycle on the fast lane.
Maybe the driver's license test for riders should be a lot more rigorous than for cagers. Anyway, there's a lot more danger involved for the rider.

By the way, the bike had no rearview mirrors as well, making this practice a lot more dangerous.