Senator Manny Pacquiao recently filed Senate Bill 2263, otherwise known as the Motorcycle Rights and Safety Act of 2021.
The proposed bill aims to “recognize, protect, and promote the rights of motorcycle owners and users to proper standards of ownership and use, to their safe operation, and to reasonable and responsive regulation of the trades supporting the said ownership and use,” according to the official document.
Some parts of the Motorcycle Rights and Safety Act are amendments of Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of 1964. One of the new provisions of Pacquiao’s bill is the stricter monitoring of the aftermarket parts and accessories trade.
Aftermarket products, which should be sold by legal and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-registered sellers, must not:
- Negatively affect the safety and use and operation of a vehicle
- Obstruct the vision of the driver or rider
- Exceed the loading and carrying capacities of the vehicle
- Prevent or restrict the proper operation of vehicle
- Clearly endanger surrounding persons, vehicles and/or other road users
- Cause a nuisance to the public
- Emit unacceptable levels of odor, smoke, or noise
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will consult with the DTI, manufacturers, suppliers, technical experts, and shareholders for the aftermarket parts and accessories, as well as its installation, loading, and carrying limits on the motorbike. Aftermarket products will be made available after research, certification, and testing by the LTO for the safety of the rider and other road users.
Modifications such as additions, adjustments, upgrades, and replacements of standard parts and components are allowed, as long as they follow the agency’s regulations. On the other hand, the LTO has to approve changes to numbered owner-identifying parts.
Pacquiao said in his explanatory note: “There is a loudening clamor for the State to assist in providing education and training in motorcycle use and safety protocols, and to provide technically correct, responsive and consistent laws and regulations that ensure order and safety while minimizing conflict, confusion, and misinterpretation.
“This bill seeks to recognize the rights of motorcycle riders and users, address their and other vehicle driver’s safety concerns, and regulate the industry that supports them.”
Here’s the full copy of the bill from the Senate’s official website:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopBikes.ph. Minor edits have been made.
