Ilocos Norte gov backs call to allow ‘Angkas’

The widely popular motorcycle-hailing app Angkas has found an ally in Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, who joined calls for the Supreme Court to lift an order temporarily banning the operations of arguably the biggest threat to the more expensive transport network vehicle services (TNVS) in the country.

“We should stop protecting the interests of antipoor, anticommuter taxi cartels and monopolist TNVS,” Marcos said in a statement on Sunday.

“Instead of using the Angkas and similar motorcycle TNVS to our advantage, we are killing the ‘golden goose’ that can provide more affordable fares to low income commuters, create more jobs and minimize the economic losses we suffer from horrible traffic,” she said.

Acting on a petition filed by the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the high tribunal on Dec. 5 overturned an earlier decision of a Mandaluyong City court, which allowed operators and drivers of Angkas to ply the roads of Metro Manila.

After introducing its motorcycle-for-hire services in 2016, Angkas quickly became popular among commuters as motorcycles could easily navigate through monstrous traffic in the metropolis.