| FRMC Policy |
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| Background and policy of the FRMC |
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| The Freedom Riders MC is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts that advocates a "thinking man's" approach to the passion of motorcycling in order to, among other things, combat the negative stereotypes so easily reinforced by less enlightened enthusiasts. Freedom Riders seeks to promote enhanced safety awareness both within the motorcycling community as whole and among the other facets of motoring society with which motorcyclists must interact. The rationale behind this approach is derived from the abnormally high frequency of potentially lethal situations in which motorcycles in Manila must normally operate in as a matter of course.
In light of this, Freedom Riders has adopted a Code of Conduct that governs and guides its members' demeanor while operating a motorcycle. This code of conduct is not restrictive or contrary to the very core attraction of motorcycling, the feeling of freedom, but is rather designed to enhance it. The code is designed to ensure primarily safe operation of the motorcycle, within the legal requirements, to safeguard the rider, the general public and equally importantly, the reputation of all motorcyclists.
Freedom Riders recognizes that each rider is an ambassador of the sport to all he or she may encounter, whenever they are out on their motorcycle. As such, Freedom Riders stresses that any dangerous act, illegal maneuver or incident of hooliganism can taint the reputation of all riders in the eyes of any who may be in observance and this will carry over to the next time those observers may encounter another motorcyclist. Tragically, these can result in the creation of a literally life-threatening bias against any random motorcyclist encountered by the operator of any other vehicle and in some cases by residents of areas who may that feel they have been violated by motorcyclists. Conversely, any motorcyclist who carries himself well in the eyes of the general public, serves to uplift that general public impression.
An act of kindness, in the form of road assistance to those in need can be great boon to the reputation of the motorcyclist. Freedom Riders believes firmly in the nature of bikers as good citizens, eager to be of help to those in need. Either way, given the tendency for reputations to spread based on observations, the motorcycling as a whole community either gains or loses depending on the deportment of individual riders and particularly groups.
Freedom Riders operate motorcycles of various displacements. The group regularly organizes rides to the surrounding rural areas on weekends and holidays for beach runs or simply for breakfast, as well as cafe runs in and around the city on weeknights. Rides and runs are also open to non-members, friends and new prospective members. Members' rides are diverse, varying from late-model Japanese sportbikes to Harley-Davidson cruisers. Membership in Manila fluctuates at around 12 currently while the German Chapter is steady at 5 and gaining strength.
Freedom Riders MC is a group composed of motorcycling enthusiasts actively organizing, coordinating, and contributing to the efforts of other motorcycle groups opposed to the ban. To date, Freedom Riders and its allies have been the focus of numerous TV shows and newspaper articles in prominent national dailies. In July 2001 the Freedom Riders supported by other groups and individuals won a court case against the ban and on July 16th 2001 a Writ of Plreliminary Injunction was issued. The court said the ban was "illegal and therefore void". The response of the DPWH and PNCC was to replace the total ban with a ban on 98% of bikes by introducing a 400cc limit. The fight continues. |
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| THE MISSION The total ban on motorcycle access to expressways has virtually and all but completely cut off all motorcyclists within the capital city of Manila and the surrounding environs from the main means of access to and from the city. The access ban also prevents reasonable commuting to and from points well within the city limits. While the ban itself has been a matter of fact in the Philippines for the past thirty years and has been tacitly accepted as fact of motorcycling life in the country, recent developments have demanded that motorcyclists finally and actively contest the validity of the ban. The most alarming of these recent developments was the recent conversion into a tollway of the last remaining multi-lane artery linking Manila to the countryside. This artery, called the Coastal Road, linked Manila to the regions on its Southern border only. With the conversion of the Coastal Road, Motorcyclists had lost their last alternative and, regardless of which direction they might want to commute to, were forced to make all travels on two-lane surface streets.
These surface streets, the only means by which motorcyclists could commute in, out and around the city are filled with the very hazards that have been found by Internationally recognized studies into accident causation involving motorcycles to be most life-threatening to the cyclists themselves and other people. These hazards include a preponderance of intersections and traffic lights, as the road network left to motorcyclists due to the ban circumnavigates the direct highway routes, passing through various small towns. Further aggravating the situation is the fact that motorcycles are now forced to commute in and amongst the public utility transportation routes primarily utilized by jeepneys, tricycles and buses. This already potent mix is even further aggravated by the undisciplined behavior of the operators of these public utility vehicles that often don't even have lights, as well as undisciplined pedestrians, the presence of stray animals, bicyclists and finally, poorly maintained roads which, in their best condition, are normally pockmarked with potholes and unmarked ditches. These roads are completely unlit at night exponentially magnifying the potential for disaster. Sadly, with the aforementioned recent conversion of the Coastal Road into a tollway thereby disallowing access to motorcycles, the government of the Philippines has now painted motorcyclists into a corner, leaving no other alternative but to now actively contest the ban. |
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| No Motorcycles sign at an entrance of a tollway.
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| Riders protest continued harassment after court rules ban is illegal and void.
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| Showing that bikers do care at the annual MAP Toy Run.
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