DOTr pressed to let motorbikes operate as PUVs

It’s about time the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued an order allowing motorcycles to be used as public utility vehicles (PUVs), according to Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said.

“We didn’t amend the law for Grab and Uber; we just issued a department circular. That way, you’re regulating them (motorcycles) and they will be safer for passengers,” Recto  told transportation officials on Wednesday.

At a hearing conducted by the Senate committee on public services on a bill pushing for motorcycles to be used as PUVs, Recto explained that since the government allowed private cars to offer rides through online applications like Uber and Grab, it could do the same for motorcycles.

Motorcycles are currently not allowed by law to be used as public transport, the reason cited by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in stopping the operations of Angkas, a motorcycle ride-hailing app.

At the hearing, LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra III said that private vehicles operating under a transport network company like Grab must get a franchise first because they could be considered PUVs.

“Why can’t you do the same for private motorcycles?” Recto asked.

Delgra replied that the two-wheelers were not considered safe as a mode of public transport.

But Recto countered that the same could be said of private vehicles. He noted that with thousands of motorcycles operating illegally as PUVs, it was better to regulate them to make these safer for the public.

“The challenge is to regulate them properly. It’s common sense,” the senator said.

The government could impose a speed limit on motorcycles, require their drivers to provide insurance coverage for passengers, as well as safety gear like helmets, he added.

Transportation Undersecretary Mark de Leon explained that the DOTr was concerned about the “inherent vulnerability of motorcycles.”

Before motorcycles could be used as PUVs, safety issues must be addressed first, De Leon said.

He reported that the department had already formed a technical working group to look into the matter.