The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is gearing up to open its Motorcycle Riding Academy in Pasig City by the third quarter of 2023. The academy aims to provide free training and certification for motorcycle riders in Metro Manila.
MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes said that the academy is already 80% completed and will be ready to accept enrollees soon. He inspected the ongoing construction site along Meralco Avenue (near corner Julia Vargas) on Friday.
“Facilities for the Motorcycle Riding Academy are ready. There are just a few things that need to be fixed and until then, it will be in full swing and open to the public,” he said.
The academy will offer a two-day training course that will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of motorcycle riding, such as motorcycle orientation, road traffic rules and regulations, motorcycle safety laws, common riding situations, and basic emergency response skills.
The MMDA will provide the motorcycles and their gasoline for the training. The participants only need to bring their own helmets and personal protective gear. The academy can accommodate 100 participants per batch.
The training facilities include container vans that will serve as classrooms. The academy will also have a clinic, comfort and shower rooms, and dining areas. The container vans were previously used as COVID-19 quarantine facilities by the MMDA.
The MMDA is also coordinating with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the accreditation of the motorcycle riding course, as well as ride-hailing firms to give priority employment to the course completers.
Lectures include Motorcycle Riding Courtesy, Motorcycle Orientation, Road Traffic Rules and Regulations, and Motorcycle Safety Laws; while simulation exercises include Preparing to Ride, Common Riding Situations, MC Safety Driving Demonstration, and Motorcycle Basic Riding Course.
According to the MMDA data, motorcycle riders were among the highest road crash fatalities in 2018, accounting for approximately 38% of the total 590 fatalities. The number of fatalities increased between 2020 and 2021, reaching 253 and 295, respectively.
On the other hand, the 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety by the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the Philippines 11th out of 175th countries with the reported number of road traffic deaths at 10,012 of which 4.7% are drivers/passengers of two to three-wheelers.
Source/Image: MMDA Facebook
