Angkas laments 10,000-biker limit set by LTFRB in extended pilot run

MANILA, Philippines — Motorcycle ride-hailing firm Angkas on Saturday lamented the government’s decision to impose a 10,000-biker limit for the extended pilot run.

This will force the firm to cut its fleet by 17,000 from the current 27,000 biker-partners.

“Sa halip na kami ay dagdagan, nagpasya ang Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) na bawasan mula 27,000 hanggang 10,000 [bikers] lamang,” Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca said in a statement.

“That’s a compromise to the quality of service you can expect, and a direct blow to over 17,000 Filipino families,” he added.

The LTFRB announced Thursday that the government has extended Angkas’ pilot run for three more months and allowed two new operators to participate.

The three operators were given an overall 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.

Last June, a six-month pilot run was approved in aid of legislation for Congress to further evaluate pending bills seeking to legalize the use of motorcycles as public utility vehicles (PUV). The pilot run was supposedly set to end by Dec. 26.

READ: 2 new operators to rival Angkas  as pilot run extended for 3 months

Angkas maintained that it has been prioritizing the safety of its passengers and stood by its bikers skills in driving.

The company also admitted it expects to encounter difficulties in its operations with the new rules set by the LTFRB.

“Bakit kailangan bawasan at tanggalan ng trabaho ang mga bikers natin? Bakit kailangan parusahan ang mga bikers na nakapag-training at napatunayan na ang galing sa daan?” Royeca lamented.

(Why should our bikers be lessened resulting in the loss of their jobs? Why is it necessary to punish the bikers who have undergone training and have already proved their roadworthiness?)

The firm appealed to the public to help bikers “keep their jobs.”

“Help us #SaveAngkas so we and our bikers can help save you again everyday,” the Angkas official said.

The extended three-month pilot run will start on Dec. 23, 2019 until March 23, 2020.

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