Imee Marcos wants ‘anti-competitive’ biker cap scrapped

MANILA, Philippines — “Anti-competitive” was how Senator Imee Marcos described the government-imposed biker cap on motorcycle taxis, denouncing as a “restriction to trade.”

“Ayoko talaga ng cap kahit taasan pa nila kasi it’s really anti-competitive. Bakit mo lalagyan ng cap? Mismong ikaw hindi mo alam yung datos,” Marcos said in a weekly Senate forum on Thursday.

(I don’t really like the cap even if they increase it because it’s really anti-competitive. You don’t even have the data.)

This, after the technical working group (TWG) tasked to oversee the motorcycle taxi pilot run, agreed to raise the biker cap from 10,000 to 15,000 per service provider.

The TWG and the three ride-hailing firms—Angkas, JoyRide, and MoveIt—came to this agreement when they met on Tuesday to iron out issues regarding certain guidelines for the pilot run, which the former earlier wanted to terminate early.

TWG chairman and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Antonio Gardiola Jr. said the reason for their recommendation to cancel the pilot run was because legal impediments were hindering them from gathering sufficient data for the study.

“Tigilan na yang cap, cap na yan…Tignan natin ano yung takbo, ano yung daloy ng trapiko, nakakadagdag ba sila o nakakabawas. Tignan muna na natin,” Marcos went on.

(They should scrap that cap. Let’s us see first the flow of traffic if they really add to it or alleviate it, let’s see first).

“It’s really a restriction to trade that’s unmerited. It will not help us at all,” she added.

If the LTFRB wants to push through with the biker limit, Marcos suggested it could instead tap local government units to set the biker cap for their respective localities.

“Sa ngayon ang tricycle ba may cap? Yung mga franchise ine-establish ng local government. I think that’s another aspect that we need to add dun…sa legalization ng motor(cycle taxis),” the senator said.

(There is no cap set for tricycles, right? The local government establishes the franchise. I think that’s another aspect that we need add to the legalization of motorcycle taxis).

“Ang tingin ko may papel ang local government kasi sila talaga ang nakatutok diyan. Sila siguro ang dapat magbigay ng cap kung kinakailangan,” she added.

(I think the local government has a role because they are the ones directly involved. They should probably be the one who should set the cap if needed).

Several bills are pending at the Senate amending existing transport laws that would legalize motorcycle taxis as an alternative mode of public transportation.

Marcos further said that surge pricing should also be addressed.

“Kontrabida kasi yang surge pricing na ‘yan. Minsan doble, triple (yung itinataas ng pamasahe),” she said.

(That surge pricing is a villain. Sometimes the fare doubles or triples).

‘Stuck’ with motorcycles for a while

“In the meantime, I think we’re stuck with motorcycles as are Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia,” Marcos said.

While motorcycles “may not be the safest or the most comfortable” mode of public transport, the senator said the commuting public would have to make do with motorcycles-for-hire services “for a while.”

“It may not be the best, it may not be the safest or the most comfortable but in the absence of the LRTs (light railway transit), MRTs (metro railway transit) and bus rapid transit that are being planned, wala tayong magagawa at talagang pagmomotor muna ang pagtiyagaan natin. Ngunit kinakailangan i-regulate (but we have no choice, but we need to regulate it),” she explained.

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.