The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) reassured public transportation stakeholders that motorcycle taxis, a new mode of transport, won’t directly compete with public utility vehicles (PUVs) like jeepneys and tricycles,
LTFRB chief Teofilo Guadiz III said the client base of motorcycle taxis is different from the existing public transportation services.
“The client base is different from the motorcycle taxi. These are the ones who are in a hurry. From their house they go to the office,” Guadiz said.
“The jeepneys, their client base is also different, from their terminal to another terminal,” he said.
Congress is finalizing the long-awaited motorcycle-for-hire law. Angkas, Move It and JoyRide are allowed to participate in the government’s motorcycle taixi pilot study.
House transportation committee chair and Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said that in finalizing the law that would govern motorcycles for hire, Congress would factor in various considerations, including the impact of motorcycle taxis on other modes of transportation.
Acop said Filipino commuters had reasons for taking motorcycle taxis, given their affordability and convenience and the absence of efficient public transportation.
“Again I would like to stress that the lack of efficient public transportation paved the way for the proliferation of motorcycle taxis as an alternative mode of moving people,” said the lawmaker.
“Our Filipino commuters do so not only because these motorcycle taxis are cheaper and more accessible, but also because they wish to avoid the stressful and time-consuming traffic in several urban areas,” he said.
The House committee on transportation is ninalizing the motorcycle-for-hire law, as Acop said the measure is “a legislative priority of the House.”
“This is in response to the pronouncement of our president, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which was echoed by our speaker––Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez––to legalize and expand the operations of motorcycle taxis,” he said.