Sen. Grace Poe called for the passage of the bill to legalize and regulate motorcycles-for-hire as a safe mode of transportation.
"The motorcycle-for-hire bill has been through the long and winding road to passage. Our tank is full," Poe said during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services, which she previously headed.
"It is now time to start our engines and put our years of work into motion," said the current chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee.
Poe said the pilot study conducted by the Department of Transportation on the viability of motorcycle taxis can serve as a strong basis to have a law.
"The pilot study is the strength of this policy. May pagkakataon tayong matugunan ang implementation gaps to improve its regulation once legalized," she said.
"But I think we can all agree that we have gathered enough data to craft a regulatory framework that is dynamic and responsive to the needs of the commuting public and the industry stakeholders," she added.
The senator said the pilot study that started over five years ago will yield overwhelming data that the commuters support the permanent integration of motorcycles into the public transportation landscape.
"The failure of our transportation system to address mobility challenges led to the unprecedented growth of motorcycles-for-hire," she said.
"Traffic, masikip na kalsada, hindi inter connected na transportation systems, mahabang pila at waiting time sa mga terminal, malayong sakayan at kawalan ng pampublikong transportasyon sa ibang lugar at ruta–these situations make riding a motorcycle for transportation a more affordable, faster, convenient and practical option (Traffic, congested roads, unconnected transportation systems, long lines and waiting times at terminals, distant pick-up points, and the lack of public transportation in some areas and routes—these situations make riding a motorcycle a more affordable, faster, convenient, and practical option for transportation)," Poe explained.
With a rapidly expanding sector, Poe said, "it is not only a necessity, but an imperative to institutionalize a regulatory framework governing motorcycle-for-hire operations."
"We need to legalize to reflect the reality on the ground," Poe said.
"In doing so, we are also uplifting a segment of our society and transforming them into formalized, professional drivers with income and welfare benefits, whether as permanent or part-time riders," Poe added.
Senators commend Angkas
During the hearing, Poe lauded Angkas for its leadership in providing proper training to its riders for the safety of its passengers.
“I commend Angkas for doing this kasi kayo ang nag-umpisang mag-professionalize nito (I commend Angkas for doing this because you were the ones who started to professionalize it),” Poe said during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services.
Angkas was the first Transportation Network Company (TNC) to develop its own basic motorcycle driving program to provide formal training to its riders to guarantee the safety of their passengers.
Senate Committee on Public Services chairperson Sen. Raffy Tulfo also commended Angkas for its efforts to ensure that all its riders adhere to government policies.
Angkas chief executive officer (CEO) George Royeca disclosed during the hearing that it remains the country’s safest motorcycle taxi with a safety record of 99.997 percent, according to its chief executive officer (CEO) George Royeca.
Royeca informed the Senate committee that Angkas has tapped a Triple A third-party auditor to monitor and audit the company’s safety record.
“This is on our second year of implementation already. We get a Triple A third-party auditor to audit our safety record,” Royeca explained.
“That’s good,” Tulfo said.