Poe chides LTFRB exec over termination of motorcycle taxi pilot study
MANILA, Philippines — A visibly peeved Senator Grace Poe chided a transport official on Monday over the decision to terminate the pilot study meant to assess the safety of motorcycles as a form of public transportation.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) board member Antonio Gardiola Jr., earlier announced the recommendation to cancel the pilot run on motorcycle taxis due to “legal rigmarole.”
Motorcycle taxis ‘illegal’ starting next week — LTFRB board member
“Dito sa nagiging desisyon niyo e masyadong nape-pressure ang Kongreso na kailangan nang ipasa ang batas na kulang pa ang datos natin. Gusto natin talagang magpasa ng batas pero dapat base sa pagaaral at hindi naman kami eksperto dito kaya kami ay umaasa sa inyo dahil kayo ang may mandato na gumawa ng pagaaral na ‘yan,” Poe, chairman of the Senate Public Services Committee, said during the hearing.
(Your decision further pressures Congress to pass a bill minus the needed data. We really want to pass the bill but it should be based on studies, we are not the experts here, and we are relying on you because you have the mandate to conduct the study.)
The hearing is tackling bills which seek to regulate and legalize the operation of motorcycle taxis.
“So ikakansela ninyo dahil ayaw ninyong gawin ang trabaho ninyo ganun ba ‘yun? E papano? Papano ngayon yan iligal silang lahat? Tapos pagdating ng Marso kailangan pasahin na namin tong batas na to? E anong klaseng batas ang gagawin namin kung hindi naman kami susuportahan ng tamang pagaaral,” she added.
(So you will call off the pilot run and study because you want to avoid taking on responsibilities, is that it? So all motorcycle taxis will be illegal? And we are expected to pass a bill on this by March? What kind of law or bill will we pass sans support from a through study on the matter?)
Gardiola earlier explained that the reason behind the move to terminate the pilot study was due delays caused by legal actions being taken by one of the motorcycle-hailing firms.
“Kasi po hindi kami makagalaw. Marami pong legal impediments along the way,” he said.
In June last year, a six-month pilot run was approved to help Congress further evaluate pending bills seeking to legalize the use of motorcycles as public utility vehicles (PUVs).
The pilot run was originally set to end on December 26, 2019, but was extended until March 23, 2020.
