Motorcycle taxis are seen to return on the road very soon as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Friday that it will comply with the decision of the government to allow the resumption of bike-hailing firms amid the pandemic.
"The DOTr will comply with the decision of the Cabinet, the Congress, and the IATF. In fact, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier expressed his support on the resumption of motorcycle taxi operations," DOTr Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque announced on Friday that the IATF approved the resumption of the motorcycle taxi pilot study that would augment the limited public transportation in the capital region due to the current health crisis.
Roque added that this will be implemented and monitored by the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 and the DOTr.
Following this, Libiran said that the Department is ready to implement the IATF decision anytime once they receive from the NTF the minimum health standards or guidelines needed for the reopening of motorcycle taxis such as Angkas and JoyRide.
"There is already an existing guideline in place, but considering that we are in a pandemic, we will have to rely on the expert recommendation of the NTF as to the minimum health standards that shall be put in place to ensure that the program will not be a transmission vector of the virus," Libiran emphasized.
The DOTr official also bared that the inter-agency technical working group (TWG) overseeing the motorcycle taxi pilot run will be reconvened to monitor and regulate the operations of participants.
"Its primordial task is to ensure the safety of the riding passengers, which will also be the basis of the continuing recommendation to congress for drafting the appropriate legislation," Libiran explained.
The IATF earlier endorsed to the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation the request of the Metro Manila mayors asking the DOTr to continue the pilot study of motorcycle taxis.
The House transportation committee, had also expressed its support in the continued pilot run pending a resolution that would legitimize motorcycle taxis as a form of public transportation.