No arrest yet of motorcycle taxis despite termination of pilot run

MANILA,  Philippines  — There will be no arrest yet of motorcycle taxis despite the government’s move to terminate its pilot run study and declare them illegal,  Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said on  Monday.

Go claimed that Transportation Secretary Arthur  Tugade and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board  Chairman Martin Delgra III had agreed to his request not to enforce the arrest starting next week.

“Kinausap ko kanina si Secretary Tugade pati si  Chairman Delgra pati yung  technical working (group) kung pwede i-extend muna yung operations nila,” he said in an interview after the hearing of the Senate  committee  on public services.

(I talked  to Secretary Tugade  and Chairman Delgra   as well as the technical working [group] if possible to extend  their operations.)

“So huwag munang  i- stop yung pilot  na ginagawa nila ngayon. Pag uusapan na lang muna with the technical working  group muli…  and not to resort to legal remedies,”   the senator added.

(So they should not stop the pilot that they are doing now.  This will be discussed with the  technical working again…and not to resort to legal remedies)

Go noted the exchange of cases by government and motorcycle ride-hailing firms over the pilot run study that started in July until December last year, and later extended until March this year.

He said stakeholders may continue with the study while Congress is deliberating on proposals to amend the law, allowing the use of motorcycles as public utility vehicles.

“Kasi kung hindi natin  ia-amend  itong batas,  illegal  yung  pag-o-operate nila (Because if we will not amend this law, then their operation is illegal),”  he pointed out .

“Kami naman dito  Senado   ayaw naman namin na habang nagaantay kami na i-amend yung batas, e mawawalan po silang ng trabaho kaya pinakusapan namin kung pwedeng pagpatuloy muna  yung kanilang operation.”

(We,  in the Senate, we  don ’t want them to  lose  their job while we’re waiting to amend  the  law so  we requested to  allow them to continue their operation.)

Go said  Delgra and Tugade acceded to his request.

Asked if the apprehension of  motorcycle taxis will no longer  push through next week,    Go said: “Yes yun po ang pinakiusap ko at papakirekomenda ko rin po  kay Pangulong duterte . Sa ngayon,  pumayag naman po si  Secretary  Tugade at chairman Delgra.”

(Yes, that’s what I requested   and I will recommend  it also to President Duterte.  But Secretary Tugade and chairman  Delgra  have already agreed to it)

Senator  Grace Poe,  during the hearing of the public services committee, also pressed the TWG to continue with the  study.

“This panel, I think, we are unanimous in our opinion that the study must continue,” said Poe,  chairperson of the committee.