The ride-hailing service Angkas wants the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to stop the implementation of a government policy allowing competitors JoyRide and Move It to take part in its pilot run for motorcycle taxi operation.
George Royeca, Angkas regulatory and public affairs head, filed a petition for a 72-hour temporary restraining order, also seeking the removal of a limit on the number of their bikers.
He urged Branch 104 Judge Catherine Manodon to follow the suit of Mandaluyong City Executive Judge Ofelia Calo, who issued a 72-hour TRO against the Department of Transportation policy.
This developed as the DOTr and the inter-agency Technical Working Group on Motorcycle Taxis on Friday called out Angkas for its “two-faced” position on the pilot run for motorcycle taxis.
Calo prevented the DOTr TWG from implementing its ruling that cut the number of Angkas bikers from 17,000 to 10,000.
The order has already lapsed pending the hearing for a preliminary injunction.
According to the Quezon City lower court, Angkas wanted to block JoyRide and Move It from “performing any act that will defeat or impair rights of the motorcycle taxis.”
At a previous news conference in Makati City, Royeca clarified Angkas was not against competition, saying they knew other players in the motorcycle taxi industry would come in.
“I have never aspired to establish a monopoly,” he said.
DOTr’s technical working group gave Angkas, JoyRide and Move It a three-month extended period to look into the viability of the operation of the motorcycle taxi service in aid of legislation.
This was despite Angkas apologizing on Wednesday for its alleged bullying tactics and defiance of government guidelines.
It was also after the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court issued a 72-hour temporary restraining order against the limit on the number of riders in Metro Manila to 30,000 (10,000 each for Angkas, JoyRide, and Move It) and 9,000 (3,000 each) in Metro Cebu.
In a petition dated Jan. 6 filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 223, Angkas asked for the issuance of a temporary restraining order against the new rider cap, apprehension of “excess riders,” and also to exclude its two competitors in the pilot program.
In a statement, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddess Hope Libiran said Angkas was “telling a lie” when it said it was open to competition and would no longer object to guidelines imposed in the program by the TWG.
“Here is where we see the two faces of Angkas. The other day, they apologized in front of the media. They promised to follow the guidelines and have a dialogue with the government. Now, they went to court to challenge the government,” Libiran said.
She said the attempt to exclude its two competitors from the program showed Angkas was “not ready to release its monopolistic hold on the motorcycle ride-hailing service sector.”
“They want a monopoly. Doesn’t this contradict their earlier statement that they don’t mind competition? What was that? A lie?,” Libiran said.
The DOTr said Angkas had said that would no longer object to Section 10 or the imposition of a cap on riders of the revised guidelines of the pilot run of the TWG and was open to competition from other transport groups.
Royeca’s apology came after TWG officials issued a warning against Angkas after the company was found to have made violations that could result in it being “blacklisted” when the TWG submits its findings and recommendations to Congress for the legalization of motorcycles as taxis.
These violations include the illicit operation of Angkas riders in Cagayan de Oro City and the alleged “99.9 percent” ownership of Angkas by Singaporean national Angeline Tham.
Ride-hailing firm Grab Philippines on Wednesday said the recent activities of a “prospective TNC” was disruptive and selfish and enjoined other players in the ride-hailing market to abide by rules set by government regulators. With PNA