The “no-backride” policy remains in effect even under Modified General Community Quarantine, said Governor Arthur Yap on Wednesday, the day when Bohol shifted to MCGQ from the more stringent GCQ.

Yap clarified that it is still up to the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on emerging infectious diseases to decide on the policy’s enforcement regardless if a locality is under GCQ or MGCQ.

“Wa pa hantod karon unless we get an approval gikan sa IATF on backride policy right now,” the governor said.

Meanwhile, the provincial government’s partition design for motorcycles has been approved “in principle.”

The design includes an acrylic divider between the driver and the passenger.

“Klarohon ra nako in the next few days tungod kay ingon nila just go through two weeks of road testing. Kung ok na, suwayan nato,” he said.

However, Yap clarified that motorcycles equipped with the divider are still not allowed to be used as “for-hire” vehicles or habal-habal.

Only family members of the driver are allowed to sit as passenger on the motorcycle even with the divider.

The national government has imposed the no-backride policy as part of efforts to maintain social distancing among the riding public but this has drawn heavy flak from both motorcycle owners and riders.

Some have complained that not allowing family members to ride on motorcycles would only force them to commute and ride public utility vehicles where they sit with more people.

Netizens have raised that families stay together in one house while most husbands and wives sleep together on one bed, questioning why motorcycle backriding for family members is not allowed.

These were the common sentiments gathered by the Chronicle from comment sections on social media regarding the policy. (R. Tutas)