Should Congress pass the proposed law that seeks to regulate and legalize “motorcycles-for-hire,” more commuters will benefit and have transportation options.
Grab Senior Executive Vice President Lim Yew Heng guaranteed this during the joint hearing of the Senate Committees on Public Services and Local Government’s hearing on the various bills that seek to legalize motorcycles-for-hire and ensure that it is safe, convenient and affordable mode of public transportation.
“Grab believes that a well-regulated and inclusive framework for motorcycle taxis in the Philippines can bring significant benefits,” said Lim, who flew in from Singapore to attend the hearing chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, on Tuesday, May 23.
“Passing a law that regulates motorcycle taxis stabilizes the regulatory environment, which will encourage healthy competition,” the executive from Grab further said.
The sooner a motorcycle law is passed, Lim said it would be “the better for consumers, who under the current setup can only choose between three motorcycle taxi companies.”
Currently, the three motorcycle taxi companies that are part of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) pilot program and allowed to ply Metro Manila roads under a provisional authority to operate are Angkas, Joyride, and Move It.
A dominant player among motorcycle taxi companies, Angkas has 30,000 riders on record, according to its owner George Royeca in a recent TV interview.
Earlier, Angkas tried to block the entry of JoyRide and MoveIt in the DOTr’s extended pilot program for motorcycle taxis when it petitioned a Quezon City court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the implementation of the policy.
During the hearing, Poe said that she is also convinced that there is a need for motorcycle taxis, but maintained that the “safety of commuters remains the biggest issue.”
Nevertheless, Poe said the Senate public services panel will try to come up with a regulatory and safety framework for the transport network vehicle service (TNVS) industry, including motorcycle taxis.
"We need to legalize to reflect the reality on ground, but we also need the highest safety standard to make this a true mobility alternative,” Poe said.