Angkas bikers protest LTFRB cap on authorized riders
MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of biker-partners of motorcycle taxi-hailing app Angkas took to the EDSA Kalayaan Shrine on Sunday to protest the government imposition of a cap of 10,000 riders it will authorize under Angkas.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has alloted a cap of 39,000 bikers for its extended pilot run of motorcycle taxis, at 10,000 bikers per Transport Network Company for Metro Manila. Although there will be more riders available to commuters, this will also mean Angkas will have to shed its current rider partner network of 27,000.
"Let's not mince words. They will take out 17,000 perfectly good Angkas bikers on the road. Yun po yung gusto nilang gawin," Angkas Chief Transport Advocate George Royeca told reporters at the protest.
READ: Nearly 20,000 bikers to lose jobs with new LTFRB cap, Angkas says
Commuter group The Passenger Forum has called for the LTFRB to require new players JoyRide and MoveIt to absorb the riders that Angkas will have to let go if the government regulator does not increase the cap.
“We are hoping that the LTFRB will consider the livelihood of the drivers and the effect of this decision to their families," TPF convenor Primo Morillo said.
"If they are really hell-bent on putting a hard cap on Angkas, at least do something for the riders who will be severely affected."
TPF: Displaced riders may be forced to go 'colorum'
Morillo also said that the displaced riders would likely continue their riding services illegally and without any app service backing them.
"Solving the problem of the 17,000 riders under threat of displacement is within the interest of the riding public. We hope the LTFRB will act quickly as the safety of commuters is at stake here," he added.
Eto ba ang pamasko sa amin, mawalan ng trabaho? #SaveAngkas pic.twitter.com/0dKodruhAN
— Angkas (@angkas) December 21, 2019
Traffic and congestion
This comes amid what groups have long been calling a mass transport crisis as traffic congestion has gotten worse in the capital.
RELATED: Mass transport in Philippines is in crisis — BAYAN
TPF sounded off on the lackluster public transportation options, saying apps like Angkas alleviated these woes for many Filipinos.
"We have to understand that many alternative modes of transport, like TNVS and motorcycle taxis, are being patronized by the public because of the problems in Metro Manila's limited mass transportation system," Morillo said.
"The commuters themselves tried to look for solutions and they, somehow, found some through their mobile phones."
Similarly, Angkas CEO Angeline Tham at the Future Cities 2019 forum in November cited the statistic from the Japan International Cooperation Agency that traffic congestion in Metro Manila now costs P3.5 billion in "lost opportunities" daily.
That number is expected to nearly double if it goes unresolved.
"There is a consensus of what defines Metro Manila that everyone agrees on: traffic and congestion. It takes an average of five minutes to drive one kilometer," she said.
'An attack on every Filipino's quality of life'
At the same forum, Tham said that she considers moves to close down alternative transport options “an attack on every Filipino’s quality of life.”
Tham conceded, though, that the concerns were valid, and that Angkas tried to put themselves in the shoes of the government.
RELATED: Solutions to Metro Manila traffic 'coming along,' NEDA exec says
“In reality, no motorcycles get any training, and you’re right to fear putting people on the backs of motorcycles,” she admitted.
The motorcycle service was previously denied operations by the LTFRB over concerns that they did not hold the authority to grant certificates of public conveyance to their operators.
But the Angkas founder also cited the statistic that there were three million cars in the Philippines versus 18 million motorcycles.
"One out of three Filipino families own a motorcycle and over 90% of these come from low-income families," she said. "Angkas has been able to empower people by giving them back their time to make choices."
"There’s a traffic epidemic that plagues us here. It affects our choices, freedom, and mental health. What about the regular commuter and his options?"
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