Senate hearing on motorcycle taxis set on January 14
MANILA, Philippines — A Senate hearing on the proposals aiming to regulate motorcycle taxis is all set next week as the worsening traffic problem gripping Metro Manila forces commuters to seek alternative modes of transportation.
The Senate committee on public services will tackle the bills proposing to regulate the use of two-wheeled vehicles as safe and alternative public utility vehicles on January 14.
“The long lines of commuters waiting for rides leave no doubt that we need alternative public utility vehicles. We hope this hearing will help find solutions to issues on safety, legality and other questions that need to be threshed out toward an efficient transport system as a whole,” Poe, the panel’s chair, said.
The Department of Transportation will be asked to give updates on the pilot implementation of motorcycles-for-hire during the hearing.
“The results of the pilot run will be an important guide for the committee in crafting the final version of the bill,” Poe said.
She added: “Our ultimate goal is availability, safety and comfort for our riding public.”
Aside from Poe, Sens. Sonny Angara, Imee Marcos and Ralph Recto also filed bills on motorcycle taxis. The four bills seek to amend the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, which prohibits the listing of motorcycles as vehicles for hire.
Cap on drivers, ownership issues
The committee chair said the cap set by the regulators on motorcycle taxis and issues concerning the ownership of dominant bike-hailing company Angkas will also be discussed during the hearing.
The three companies joining the second phase of the pilot test for motorcycle taxis—Angkas, JoyRide and Move It—were allocated 10,000 drivers in Metro Manila each.
Angkas—the sole service provider in the initial six-month trial run—said the cap imposed by interagency technical working group studying the viability of bikes-for-hire will displace 17,000 of its riders.
A Mandaluyong court on Monday granted a three-day temporary restraining order against the TWG’s policy, saying the 17,000 accredited Angkas riders who were allowed to participate in the pilot run will suffer “grave irreparable injury as they stand to lose their jobs.”
Over the weekend, the TWG claimed Angkas is 99.996% owned by Singaporean Angeline Tham, citing records from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board earlier rejected Indonesia ride-hailing service GoJek over the issue of ownership.
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