Angkas is back on the road as the House Transportation Committee announced Wednesday that an agreement had been reached between the DOTr, TWG, and the motorcycle taxi companies participating in the pilot run to continue the test run until March this year. The Department of Transportation–Technical Working Group on Wednesday allowed the resumption of the pilot run for motorcycle taxis and raised the bikers’ cap to 21,000 each per operator after Angkas agreed to drop all cases against the government’s guidelines on the implementation of motorcycle taxis pilot study.
TWG chairman Antonio Gardiola Jr. said the government decided to continue the pilot run for motorcycle taxis until March 2020 and increase the bikers’ cap for Angkas, JoyRide, and MoveIt.
Last Monday, Gardiola said the government decided to immediately terminate the implementation of the pilot study for motorcycle taxis after Angkas exhibited defiance on the guidelines set by the TWG.
Despite persuading concerned government agencies and the Department of Transportation-Technical Working Group to extend the pilot testing program for motorcycle riding app Angkas, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go told the ride-hailing firm to abide by the law.
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Go said Angkas still needed to follow the law and comply with regulations, particularly on the foreign ownership restrictions of the Constitution.
Go issued the statement after the DOTr said Angkas was 99.9-percent owned by a Singaporean.
Angkas, on its part, announced it had rectified this ownership issue.
The House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation on Wednesday backed the decision of authorities to allow motorcycle taxis to continue operating until Congress is able to enact a law that regulates them.
At a hearing conducted by the committee, Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, the panel chairman, said the impasse on the operation of motorcycle taxis had ended as the authorities agreed to increase the cap on the number of riders as well as the expansion of the pilot-testing area to the Visayas and Mindanao.
Aside from getting the green light to proceed with the test run, the riders’ cap was increased from 30,000 to 45,000 for Metro Manila.
Also included in the agreement was the inclusion of Cagayan de Oro as one of the areas covered by the pilot run, which was originally limited to Metro Manila and Metro Cebu. Metro Cebu and CDO will have a riders’ cap of 9,000 each.
The announcement was made after the Transport Committee, led by Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, held an executive session with the committee members, the government regulators and the three motorcycle taxi companies. The blueprint for the agreement, however, was discussed during a meeting between the DOTr, TWG, LTFRB and the motorcycle taxi players the previous day.
“We are very grateful to Sec. Tugade and Rep. Sarmiento for mediating for the impasse settlement. I am happy that everyone is now involved in the test run and will be working together towards the same goal,” Angkas Chief Transport Advocate George Royeca said.
“The agreement to continue the test run that Angkas and the two other players struck with the DOTr, the LTFRB and the TWG is an important win for the Philippines, particularly for the commuters and the bikers of all three motorcycle taxi companies.
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