Senate panel to discuss motorcycle taxi issues next week

A Senate panel is set to tackle next week the issues hounding motorcycles taxis including ownership and the cap set by the government's inter-agency regulator.

Senator Grace Poe said she would ask for updates from the Department of Transportation on the pilot implementation of motorcycle taxis which started in June 2019.

"The results of the pilot run will be an important guide for the committee in crafting the final version of the bill," she said in a press statement.

"Our ultimate goal is availability, safety and comfort for our riding public," Poe explained.

The Senate committee on public services headed by Poe will conduct a public hearing on Jan. 14, Tuesday, on bills proposing to regulate the use of motorcycles as safe and alternative public utility vehicles.

The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. at the Senate session hall and will tackle bills filed by Poe, Senators Sonny Angara, Imee Marcos, and Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto.

Poe said the long lines of commuters waiting for rides leave no doubt that alternative public utility vehicles are needed.

“We hope this hearing will help find solutions to issues on safety, legality and other questions that need to be threshed out towards an efficient transport system as a whole," she said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) inter-agency Technical Working Group (TWG) on motorcycle taxis has extended the six-month pilot run of motorcycle ride-hailing operations, with the inclusion of two new players.

Aside from Angkas, now included are JoyRide and Move It.

The TWG also allotted cap of 39,000 registered bikers —10,000 bikers per Transport Network Company (TNC) for Metro Manila and 3,000 bikers per TNC for Metro Cebu operations.

Angkas questioned this as they alone have 27,000 bikers. It also said that there was politics involved in the inclusion of JoyRide.

The TWG, meanwhile, raised concerns over the foreign ownership of DBDOYC Inc. which operates Angkas.

Citing documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the TWG said DBDOYC is currently majority foreign-owned, with over 99% under Singaporean Angeline Xiwen Tham. — MDM, GMA News