MANILA, Philippines – Starting August, motorcycles seeking shelter in underpasses or footbridges during heavy rain may face a fine of P1,000, not P500 as previously announced.

“Seeking cover from the rain may endanger the riders from being hit by other vehicles and also cause traffic congestion,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairperson Don Artes said on Thursday, July 20.

Grab and Joyride said they would remind their drivers to strictly follow traffic rules and regulations.

MMDA has also tapped the help of major gas stations in Metro Manila where the agency will set up tents where motorcycle riders could wear raincoats.

Artes said these gas stations were open to the idea but will still have to iron out the guidelines.

MMDA has emergency lay-bys along EDSA where motorcycle riders could temporarily seek shelter during heavy rain. When asked how many lay-bys MMDA have and its capacity, it said they have “enough.”

On average, 165,652 motorcycles traverse EDSA daily from January 2023 to July 2023. This is significantly larger than the volume of motorcycles in 2019, before the pandemic with just 110,167 on a daily average.

On Thursday, MMDA announced a P500 fine for the violation, but its public information office corrected the amount on Friday, July 21. Under the single ticketing system, the fine for obstruction is P1,000. – Rappler.com