MANILA, Philippines — Transport regulators said they were “disappointed and aghast” over motorcycle-hailing service Angkas’ supposed attempt to “take hostage” the six-month pilot test meant to assess whether bikes were safe for public transport, signaling further frayed relations between the government and a company whose fate was subject to state regulation.
On Monday night, the technical working group (TWG) that crafted the guidelines for the dry run issued a scathing open letter addressed to Angkas’ chief transport advocate George Royeca, in a bid to defend its decision to open up the bike-hailing market to two more competitors and put a 10,000 cap on drivers per firm.
Among many things, the TWG accused Royeca of being concerned only about the estimated daily losses of P170,000 should the extra 17,000 riders on Angkas’ platform decide to join their new rivals, JoyRide and MoveIt. Angkas claims to have 27,000 drivers.
Royeca earlier also assailed the TWG in an open letter in which he asked the public to help #SaveAngkas, saying the 10,000 cap was a direct threat to the livelihood of the 17,000 riders.Public outrage
The letter, which has reached over 200,000 people on both Facebook and Twitter alone, fomented public anger against transport regulators.
In response, the TWG accused Royeca and Angkas of “resorting to emotional blackmail in an attempt to cement its foothold on this transport service.”
“For Angkas to claim the 17,000 as [its] own is in itself curtailment and infringement of the right of the rider to seek the best employment opportunity. The fact remains that you want exclusivity with these riders to establish a monopoly,” it added.
Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite on Tuesday came to the defense of Angkas, calling out an official of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for saying the company was “overreacting”to the 10,000 cap.
“Overreacting? What kind of reaction does [LTFRB board member Antonio] Gardiola expect from people who could be losing their jobs? Thankful?” the Makabayan lawmaker said.
“There is widespread outrage from commuters who are long frustrated at the state of our public transport system. In his attempt to dismiss public opinion, [Gardiola] just exposed how detached he is from ordinary Filipinos’ everyday commuting woes and their sentiments,”Gaite said.—With a report from DJ Yap