Angkas over reacting on 10,000-biker cap, says LTFRB board member
MANILA, Philippines — Motorcycle ride-hailing firm Angkas is only “over-reacting” on the 10,000-biker limit set by the government for the extended pilot run for motorcycle taxis and is deceiving its biker-partners that they would lose their jobs, the chairman of the technical working group (TWG) tasked to monitor motorcycle taxis, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) board member Antonio Gardiola Jr. said.
“You are over-reacting kasi mababawasan ang riders niyo, who now has the option to choose from among two additional providers for the interest of a fair and objective study,” Gardiola said in a statement addressed to Angkas.
(You are over-reacting because the number of your riders will decrease. They will now have the option to choose among two additional providers for the interest of a fair and objective study.)
Gardiola said the issue is not about jobs but the pilot implementation aimed at determining whether or not motorcycle taxis are safe public utility vehicles (PUVs).
He reminded Angkas that it is an “instrument to run this study and not to run the affairs of the TWG.”
“It only appears na you are not interested on the study rather you are focused kung ano kikitain nyo sa pag aaral na ito,” Gardiola said.
“Please stop deceiving your riders and their families. You are only after your business. Always put in mind that this is still a study,” he added.
In an earlier statement, LTFRB denied Angkas’ claims that 17,000 riders stand to lose their jobs amid the new guidelines. It said it is “untrue and without basis” as the affected riders can be absorbed by the two new players during the pilot implementation.
“Nagdagdag tayo ng dalawang transport network companies (TNCs) upang hindi ma-monoplize ang mga datos ng mga kalahok sa pag-aaral na ito,” Gardiola said in a separate statement.
(We added two new TNCs so that the data will not be monopolized by participants in this study.)
“Hindi ekonomiya o kita o trabaho ng mga riders ang pinag-aaralan dito kaya kailangan ‘yung angkop sa pinagaaralan ang kailangan talakayin sa mga usapin,” he added.
(It is not the economy or job of riders that are being studied here, that’s why the subject of the study should be the one being discussed here.) #
Angkas earlier lamented the government’s decision to impose 10,000-biker limit per transport network company (TNC) under the extended pilot implementation for motorcycle taxis, where two new providers were allowed to participate.
READ: 2 new operators to rival Angkas as pilot run extended for 3 months
It said that 17,000 of its biker-partners stand to lose their livelihoods under the said limit, as Angkas’ current workforce is at 27,000.
Angkas riders even held a protest rally on Sunday to underscore their opposition to the 10,000 biker biker cap.
Angkas laments 10,000-biker limit set by LTFRB in extended pilot run
RELATED STORIES:
Probe ‘irregularities’ in new motorcycle taxi pilot run rules – Angkas
Riders warn of going back to ‘habal-habal’ amid LTFRB’s 10,000 bikers limit
