Legislators on Saturday appealed to the Technical Working Group of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board not to muddle the issue on the motorcycle taxi pilot and confuse the public into thinking that the 20-day temporary restraining order on the riders’ cap was not granted.
The TWG earlier disclosed that Angkas’ petition for a TRO on the riders cap was denied by the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court.
As far as some congressmen are concerned, this news item effectively confuses the public because the same Mandaluyong RTC previously granted a 72-hour TRO against the riders’ cap which has recently lapsed.
Moreover, a QC Regional Trial Court recently granted a 20-day TRO that lifted the cap on the total number of operating Angkas motorcycle taxis, allowing the full fleet of 27,000 to operate for 20 days.
Rep. Cristal Bagatsing of Manila expressed her support for the TRO, saying, “There is an existing 20-day TRO granted last Jan. 10, allowing 27,000 Angkas bikers to operate and still serve commuters.
Bagatsing said the TWG should not mislead the public into thinking the TRO was not granted. “It was, and we need to respect this existing TRO which is still in effect.” she said.
Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera of Quezon City said the 20-day TRO should be respected.
“The QC TRO gives the 17,000 bikers of Angkas 20 more days to operate and retain their livelihoods,” she said.
Herrera said “the court granted this in good faith so that the commuting public can have a greater number of experienced bikers that will serve them during this period.”
Rep. Presley de Jesus of PHILRECA Party-list group also said that the 20-day TRO issued by the Quezon City court is a welcome development in the ongoing issue of the motorcycle taxispilot.
“I hope both Houses of Congress would prioritize the possible regulation and legalization of motorcycle taxi operations as a win-win solution for commuters and motorcycle taxi operators and bikers. In fact, there are already scheduled hearings next week in the Senate and Congress”•let us allow both houses to look into this matter more closely next week with all the stakeholders who should have been involved here,” de Jesus said.
Former Kabataan Party-list Rep.Terry Ridon, Infrawatch PH convenor and former House Transportation Committee member, said that court TROs must be respected by all parties.
“Pilot mechanisms, even if these are at the initiatory stages of policy creation, should not amount to regulatory capture. By forcing caps on participants of the pilot, the public will be burdened in the event that supply gets limited due to this policy. Who then should be made accountable for this?
Certainly our seemingly infallible transport officials,” said Ridon, a lawyer.
“More importantly, this anti-competitive policy should be nipped in the bud, in order that no other regulated sector would experience the same policy pitfall,” Ridon said.
