During this long weekend, I am sure that most of us went on a trip somewhere to escape the city's chaotic vibe.

Predictably, the tollways were packed with vehicles due to the exodus of travelers around the same period (Wednesday evening to Thursday morning). Expect the same today, Easter Sunday, and tomorrow, April 10th, when everyone returns from their weekend out-of-towner.

Woe to those driving a car with crappy air-conditioning as they look on while high-displacement motorcycles filter through the gridlock.   

But what about us regular folks?

Well, we must have ridden through seven hells just to put maybe around 75 to 100 kilometers between Metro Manila and us.

After that, we surely enjoyed some peaceful saddle time on provincial roads, save for the ubiquitous road construction hazards and some “random” checkpoints that were somehow intended only for motorcycles.

Sure, I could have just taken my 500cc bobber on the tollway and avoided all the hassle, but the lack of cargo space is rather annoying on long trips. Besides, having a big scalding engine between my legs while riding in this climate is not quite appealing. Poached eggs, anyone?

Which brings us to the question: Why can’t we ride our 125cc scooters on tollways with relative ease and comfort?

Why, really?

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) says it’s unsafe for us to do so. Their basis is the data on motorcycle-related accidents in Metro Manila. But the tollway is a one-directional strait line while the Metro Manila road network is just chaos. The riding conditions are as different as apples are to atis (atises?).

Why peg it at 400cc, then? Your guess is as good as mine.

The “official” reasoning for the 400cc rule is that sub-400s tend to be lighter and are, therefore, unstable at high speeds. But, here’s the thing, the 276cc KYMCO DT X360 maxi scooter weighs 184 kilograms while the Kawasaki Ninja 400 is at 167 kilograms. Let that sink in.

Also, the minimum speed at tollways is just 60 kph. Any commuter bike, even a 100cc, will happily run at 80 kph all day without issues.   

“Stability will be adversely affected when a large vehicle passes a motorcycle,” says the experts. Then why not assign a designated motorcycle lane away from the killer buses as they do at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX)? THEY ALLOW 125cc MOTORCYCLES there!

Just thinking about the lack of logic on this issue gives me a migraine. I’m going to lie down for a bit.

But how about you? What do you think about the 400cc minimum displacement on tollways?