TWG reverses earlier decision: Motorcycle-taxi pilot run continues

MANILA, Philippines — The pilot run on motorcycle taxis will continue despite an earlier decision to terminate it early, Antonio Gardiola Jr., the chairman of the Department of Transportation’s technical working group, said on Tuesday.

“The sentiment of the honorable senators is to continue the study, and I’ve already talked with the Secretary of Transportation. We will have a meeting with providers this afternoon para ma-tresh out namin kung ano ang dapat gawin,” Gardiola said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

(We will have a meeting with providers this afternoon so we could thresh out what we need to do.)

“Itutuloy po natin ‘yan (We will continue that), we will come up with guidelines, we will talk to the providers with (the) guidance of the Secretary,” Gardiola added when asked if the pilot run will push through.

Shortly before  Monday’s Senate hearing on a bill seeking to regulate motorcycle taxis, Gardiola told reporters that motorcycles-for-hire will be declared illegal and will be impounded.

Senators, including  President Pro Tempore  Ralph Recto and Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile slammed the move, calling it an  “act of revenge.”

Poe, who led the Senate hearing as head of the committee on public services, also urged that the pilot run must continue. 

Asked what made him reverse the group’s earlier decision, Gardiola said that it was the sentiment of the senators present in the Senate’s hearing of the issue on motorcycle taxis.

“And even the resource persons, there were resource persons also present in the hearing,” he added.

Edited by MUF