Are motorcycle taxis really a viable solution to Metro Manila’s transportation woes?
Or will it only exacerbate the capital region’s already troublesome traffic situation, as some critics have charged?
Those are the questions the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is set to answer as it prepares to conclude a pilot study on the issue of expanding motorcycle taxi services in the country.
In line with this, the LTFRB has decided to suspend its earlier decision to approve an additional 8,000 slots for motorcycle taxi services, pending the conclusion of the pilot study in May.
Additionally, the board will formulate its recommendations to Congress regarding the regulation of motorcycle taxi operations.
“We will prepare our recommendation and it is up to Congress whether or not it will adopt our recommendation and based on that, we will act depending on the decision of Congress,” LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz said over the weekend.
“The TWG will submit its recommendation to Congress this May regarding the results of our work,” he noted.
Guadiz highlighted that motorcycle taxi services aim to tackle the issue of unauthorized transportation by motorcycles lacking permits from the LTFRB.
He emphasized that the service employs trained drivers and provides insurance coverage for passengers.
Additionally, Guadiz argued that motorcycle taxis could alleviate severe traffic congestion.
Currently, Metro Manila has 51,000 motorcycle taxi slots.
However, several transport groups have appealed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to halt the expansion of motorcycle taxis in the capital.
The Coalition of Transport Sectors urged Marcos to instruct the LTFRB to restrict the expansion of motorcycle taxis in regions outside the National Capital Region, where traffic congestion may be less severe.
Moreover, the House of Representatives committee on Metro Manila development has advocated for a moratorium on the entry of additional participants in the motorcycle taxi pilot study.
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