Move IT, a local transport solutions provider, said Wednesday it is optimistic that the reconstitution of the technical working group on motorcycle taxis would speed up the legalization of the ride-hailing services in the country.
“The reconstitution of the TWG ensures the continuous operation of MC taxis pending enactment of the appropriate legislation legalizing and regulating the MC ride-hailing service in the country,” Move It said.
“While we await for that law, it is important that our commuters continue to have access to affordable, safe and faster mode of public transportation that is MC taxi,” it said.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista issued Department Order No. 2022-021 on Nov. 7 reconstituting the TWG as the body to oversee and monitor the continuous pilot implementation of MC taxi operations.
Grab Philippines’ acquisition of Move It is above board and compliant with the rules set by the TWG, Move IT said during the hearing of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development chaired by Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano.
“We are happy to disclose that the acquisition complied with the law, and all approvals required for the acquisition have been obtained. It did not violate any requirement of the MC Taxi TWG,” Move It said in its opening statement read by lawyer Ann Albana.
“We wish to assure the public that the operations of Move It will still be under the supervision of the MC Taxi TWG, and it will continue to abide by MC Taxi Guidelines, especially on the safety and welfare of the consumers,” Albana said.
Critics of the the Grab-Move deal said it was designed for Grab to have instant accreditation by virtue of its acquisition of Move It, which was granted accreditation by the TWG.
Move It, an independent company that offers motorcycle taxi services for the commuting Filipino mass, dismissed the arguments against it, and Grab are “clearly misplaced and are merely based on speculations and conjectures.”
It said that even with the acquisition, the company continued to hold and possess the accreditation given by TWG, and it was not in any manner transferred to Grab.
Grab and Move It will remain two distinct and separate entities, it said.
“Thus, it is erroneous and misleading to claim that the accreditation has been transferred to Grab by virtue of the acquisition,” Move It said.
