No arrest yet of motorcycle taxis despite termination of pilot run in the Philippines
Moto taxi in the Manila, Philippines. Photo: Inquirer. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.
MANILA, Jan 20, 2020, Philippine Daily Inquirer. There will be no arrest yet of motorcycle taxis despite the government’s move to terminate its pilot run study and declare them illegal, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said on Monday, Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
Go claimed that Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Martin Delgra III had agreed to his request not to enforce the arrest starting next week.
“Kinausap ko kanina si Secretary Tugade pati si Chairman Delgra pati yung technical working (group) kung pwede i-extend muna yung operations nila,” he said in an interview after the hearing of the Senate committee on public services.
(I talked to Secretary Tugade and Chairman Delgra as well as the technical working [group] if possible to extend their operations.)
“So huwag munang i- stop yung pilot na ginagawa nila ngayon. Pag uusapan na lang muna with the technical working group muli… and not to resort to legal remedies,” the senator added.
(So they should not stop the pilot that they are doing now. This will be discussed with the technical working again…and not to resort to legal remedies)
Go noted the exchange of cases by government and motorcycle ride-hailing firms over the pilot run study that started in July until December last year, and later extended until March this year.
He said stakeholders may continue with the study while Congress is deliberating on proposals to amend the law, allowing the use of motorcycles as public utility vehicles.
“Kasi kung hindi natin ia-amend itong batas, illegal yung pag-o-operate nila (Because if we will not amend this law, then their operation is illegal),” he pointed out .
“Kami naman dito Senado ayaw naman namin na habang nagaantay kami na i-amend yung batas, e mawawalan po silang ng trabaho kaya pinakusapan namin kung pwedeng pagpatuloy muna yung kanilang operation.”
(We, in the Senate, we don ’t want them to lose their job while we’re waiting to amend the law so we requested to allow them to continue their operation.)
Go said Delgra and Tugade acceded to his request.
Asked if the apprehension of motorcycle taxis will no longer push through next week, Go said: “Yes yun po ang pinakiusap ko at papakirekomenda ko rin po kay Pangulong duterte . Sa ngayon, pumayag naman po si Secretary Tugade at chairman Delgra.”
(Yes, that’s what I requested and I will recommend it also to President Duterte. But Secretary Tugade and chairman Delgra have already agreed to it)
Senator Grace Poe, during the hearing of the public services committee, also pressed the TWG to continue with the study.
“This panel, I think, we are unanimous in our opinion that the study must continue,” said Poe, chairperson of the committee.
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