DOTr's Vince Dizon wants review of motorcycle taxi riders cap

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon is looking into reviewing the ceilings on the allowed number of riders on motorcycle-taxi service providers being enforced by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

In a chance interview with reporters, Dizon said, in a mix of Filipino and English, "What I want to understand is what is the current supply and demand situation here in Metro Manila."

"How many passengers are there? How many vehicles are available? It is very clear that there is a scarcity. So this regulation on the… maximum number of riders, I think should be reviewed as I believe that this maximum number if no longer applicable," the Transportation chief said.

"So, it will be discussed with the LTFRB," he said, referring to the motorcycle-taxi rider caps.

Dizon made the pronouncement amid the LTFRB's probe into motorcycle-taxi provider Move It, which was reportedly fined for allegedly exceeding its total authorized limit of 17,746 riders by 55,7575.

In a separate statement, the Coalition of Filipino Commuters (CFC) expressed support to Dizon's pronouncement to review the cap on motorcycle taxi riders and to base regulation on actual commuter demand.

"As the Transport Secretary has pointed out, the current limits were set before the pandemic and no longer reflect conditions on the ground, where public transport in Metro Manila remains scarce. For many commuters, motorcycle taxis are no longer just an alternative," CFC said.

"With Metro Manila generating an estimated 16 million trips a day, according to JICA transport studies, limiting the capacity of these services risks further straining an already overstretched system. Caps do not close the underlying shortage of public transport —they shrink service availability, lengthen waiting times, and leave commuters stranded at the curb with nowhere else to turn," the group said.

CFC said it recognizes that "regulation matters," but it should make these services safer and more accountable, not less accessible.

"Any limit on supply should rest on demonstrable public interest, not on figures that no longer match what commuters need," it said. — VDV, GMA News