Pozorrubio – a town in Pangasinan, has had an ordinance banning motorcycles from using the left lane since 2018. Under Ordinance No. 06-121818 of the Municipality of Pozorrubio, all motorcycles, e-bikes, and tricycles should only utilize the outermost lane of the town’s national roads.
This means that motorcycle riders if they ride on the left lane of the national highway within the territorial jurisdiction of Pozorrubio, will be slapped with a fine and a ruined holiday ride.
Just recently, Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO), had been invited by the town of Pozorrubio to hear the side of motorcycle riders on the issue of the left lane ban. MRO chairman, Jobert Bolanos, through his social media page, reported that the meeting went fine and that the town’s left lane ban ordinance could be amended.
Bolanos said that while it is still a “work in progress”, two options were raised during the meeting. First, Pozorrubio and concerned rider groups could take it to a lengthy and costly court battle – which could also give the town a bad reputation for motorcycle tourism, especially since the town is considered to be one of the gateways to Baguio City.
The second option, says Bolanos, is for the Municipal Council to consider the plea of motorcycle riders and amend the ordinance soon.
Bolanos further explained that motorcycles should not be treated as lower-class types of vehicles than cars, and our traffic code, Republic Act 4136, does not forbid the free movement of motorcycles on national roads such as banning them from using the left or fast lane.
“Bigyan nila ng pagkakataon na silipin nila yung opportunity na i-amend yung batas... kasi ang motorsiklo ay not considered as lower class vehicle,” said Bolanos.
(Give them the chance to look at the opportunity to amend the ordinance...since motorcycles are not considered as lower class vehicles.)
“They [Pozorrubio] agreed into looking to amending the ordinance,” added Bolanos.
Obstruction
Looking at where the town of Pozorrubio is coming from, they have enacted the ordinance due to lots of slow-moving vehicles that impede the flow of traffic in their jurisdiction. These include tricycles, e-bikes, and yes, motorcycles.
MRO added that we already have a law against that, and drivers of slow-moving vehicles that impede the flow of traffic can be fined with an obstruction traffic violation.
Dangerous to motorcyclists
As motorcycle riders, we all know that generally speaking, riding on the right-most lane of the national highways is far riskier and more dangerous than on the left lane.
Some of the reasons include unfinished or intermittent road widening, electrical poles that haven’t been relocated even after the road widening, parked vehicles, debris, and many more. You can read our feature story “Why the rightmost lane is dangerous for motorcycles.”
