TWG wants study terminated; motorcycle taxis deemed illegal anew

FILE: A group of Angkas riders with relief goods for the eruption-affected people rests at a field in Sto Tomas. (PNA photo by Joey Razon)

MANILA — Motorcycle taxis may soon be declared illegal following the recommendation of the Department of Transportation’s Technical Working Group on motorcycle taxis (TWG) to terminate its pilot study on motorcycles as public transportation due to legal impediments.

In an interview before a Senate hearing on the regulation and legalization of motorcycle taxis on Monday, TWG chair Antonio Gardiola Jr., said the TWG would recommend the termination of the study due to a “legal rigmarole” that failed the gathering data for the study.

“We cannot gather data because of actions being undertaken of one of the players so it’s better to terminate it,” Gardiola said.

He said once the study has been terminated, motorcycles taxis would be deemed illegal.

“So maybe a week from now, we will start enforcement already,” Gardiola said.

On Wednesday, a Mandaluyong court junked the petition by motorcycle taxi company Angkas for another temporary restraining order (TRO) against the TWG’s revised guidelines for motorcycle taxis.

This came after Angkas filed a separate petition before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for a TRO against the new rider cap, apprehension of “excess riders,” and exclusion of its two competitors from the program.

Angkas also filed an earlier petition for a 72-hour TRO against the revised guidelines which it obtained on January 6.

The revised guidelines issued in December last year limited the maximum number of riders in Metro Manila to 30,000 and in Metro Cebu to 9,000 — divided equally between the three approved companies Angkas, JoyRide, and Move It.

Angkas claimed the new rider cap would result in the loss of jobs for 17,000 of its riders — with Angkas claiming to have a total of 27,000 riders — resulting in a conflict between the company and the TWG.