8K new motorcycle taxis to operate outside NCR

FOR PROVINCIAL USE ONLY Amid concerns that 8,000 new slots for motorcycle taxis will worsen traffic in Metro Manila, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board says that these will be required to operate in the provinces. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — There will be no additional motorcycle (MC) taxis in Metro Manila, according to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), as the 8,000 additional slots to be given to four new players will be used for other regions.

In a press conference on Monday, LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III said the new slots under the ongoing pilot study on MC taxis would be equally allocated to four transport network companies (TNCs), namely Para Express, Taxi Philippines, Grab and Dingdong.

READ: Marcos, DOTr urged to retain cap on motorcycle taxis in NCR

READ: Speaker pushes law on motorcycle taxis

“I will be meeting the TNC operators to propose to them that the slots that we will give them should be used in areas outside of Metro Manila, including Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Eastern Visayas, specifically in Cebu, and Davao Region. We will prioritize filling the new slots in these areas,” he explained.

Guadiz said the four new TNC companies would be allocated 2,000 slots each.

“We are still in the process of evaluating [their] applications. But the moment that we give the company this number of slots, it is understood that their riders should operate outside Metro Manila,” he added.

According to Guadiz, who chairs the technical working group (TWG) on the rollout of MC taxis, this condition was in compliance with the directive of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and the recommendation of the House committee on Metro Manila development.

Transport groups’ concern

Various transport groups had asked the House of Representatives and Department of Transportation (DOTr) to retain the cap on MC taxi slots in the National Capital Region (NCR) amid concerns that raising it may worsen traffic congestion in the area.

In an earlier statement, Bautista said the decision not to allocate new motorcycle taxi slots in Metro Manila was “[aligned] with the department’s vision to balance transportation services across different regions while addressing the specific needs and challenges of each area.”

“By redirecting additional MC taxi units outside of Metro Manila, the DOTr aims to alleviate congestion and enhance mobility in the capital region,” he stressed.

Currently, there are 45,000 MC taxi slots allotted during the previous administration to Angkas, Joyride and Move It, the three original proponents of the pilot study. No new slots will be given to them.

According to Guadiz, of the 45,000 slots, only 23,000 are being used by Angkas, Joyride and MoveIt—still below the 65,000 maximum capacity of MC taxis in Metro Manila based on the TWG’s initial study.

Pilot test study

Guadiz stressed that when they submitted the conclusions of the initial study to the House of Representatives, the lawmakers “encouraged” them to expand the study by allocating more slots for MC taxis.

In June 2019, Congress approved a six-month pilot run on the use of MC taxis in Metro Manila, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro to determine their reliability and safety as a means of public transport.

Originally set to end on Dec. 26, 2019, the pilot test was extended until March 23, 2020 to allow for further study. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, delayed the deliberations on the issue and prompted the government to extend it again.

With the pilot study set to conclude on May 31, the TWG is expected to give its recommendations.

Guadiz said that “theoretically,” all MC taxis should stop operating with the conclusion of the study.

“But we will recommend to Congress for MC taxis to continue their operations even if the pilot study is already terminated, pending the enactment of a law that will govern MC taxis,” he added. INQ