TWG says motorcycle taxis helpful, but saddled with risks

MANILA, Philippines — While motorcycle taxis can be helpful to the commuting public, a consultant of the technical working group (TWG) conducting the study pointed out it exposes passengers to risks.

“I’ll be pragmatic about it. Nakakatulong, but then the risk involved, yun ang tinitignan natin e. Hindi lang yung naihatid mo ang pasahero from point A to point B pero yung risk involved dyan e,” TWG consultant Alberto Suansing said Friday in an interview with CNN Philippines.

(I’ll be pragmatic about it. It helps but we are looking at the risks involved. It’s not just about fetching the passenger from point A to point B, but the risks involved during the ride.)

The group was commissioned by the Department of Transportation to discuss issues attendant to the prospect of two-wheel vehicles operating as public transport.  The TWG is also studying if no more motorcycle riders will be allowed to transport passengers once the pilot program concludes in March 2020.

The data that TWG will gather will be submitted to Congress, which will then craft a law on the use of motorcycles as public utility vehicles (PUVs).

Suansing is currently the secretary general of Global Road Safety Partnership.

Among the risks being looked at by the TWG was that if should there be mishaps in allowing motorcycle taxis, fingers would be pointed at the government in the end.

“Pagka merong sakuna na nangyari dyan ang puputukan niyan yung gobyerno for allowing it. And as it is right now, meron kang nababalitaang aksidente regarding motorcycle,” he said.

(If there would be accidents, the government will be the one criticized for allowing it. And as it is right now, there is news of motorcycle accidents.)

Meanwhile, an allotted cap of 10,000 bikers per transport network company (TNC) in Metro Manila and 3,000 bikers per TNC for Cebu were given to operators under the extended pilot run.

This earned ire from motorcycle ride-hailing firm Angkas who said the cap will cut its fleet by 17,000 from the current 27,000 riders.

But Suansing said this was the risk Angkas had to take for signing up many riders despite it being “illegal.”

“We told them that, Angkas, na that’s your risk. Because illegal nga yung ginagawa nila e. Nag sign up sila ng ganun karami tapos sasabihin nila inalisan ng trabaho. Wala kaming binibigyan ng trabaho, wala kaming binibigyan ng prangkisa,” Suansing said.

(We told them that it was Angkas’ risk. Because what they are doing is illegal. They signed up that many riders then they will claim they were removed with jobs. We did not give jobs, we did not give franchise.)

Two new ride-hailing companies, on the other hand, were introduced to join the pilot run namely JoyRide and Move It.