MANILA, Philippines — The government's interagency technical working group blamed motorcycle hailing app
Angkas for
terminating the operations of motorcycle taxis.
TWG Chairman Antonio
Gardiola Jr.,
board member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, announced that they have recommended the termination of their study on the safety of motorcycle hailing apps.
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Gardiola told reporters that all
motorcycle taxis cannot operate anymore starting next week as they are illegal.
Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate public services committee, criticized the recommendation of the TWG to end the pilot test
without any data. The senator
said the interagency group could have
obtained data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority or the Philippine National Police's Highway Patrol Group.
The TWG chair admitted that their data on the safety of motorcycle taxis came from
Angkas.
"
Ang
sinasabi
ninyo
ang datos na
meron kayo ay
galing
sa
Angkas na 99%
ang
kanilang safety record
pero
ngayon
kinakansela
ninyo
ang
pag-
aaral
nito
dahil
sinasabi
ninyo
dapat
ligtas
ang
ating
mga
kababayan," Poe told the TWG, pointing out that this is contrary to the point of the study.
(You
are saying that your data came from
Angkas which has a 99% safety record but now you are canceling your study on this because you
are saying that our citizens should be safe.)
Gardiola then added that the TWG initially recommended the extension of the study and added guidelines to monitor the motorcycle hailing apps.
Asked why they are
terminating the program,
Gardiola claimed that
Angkas did not follow the guidelines.
"
Kasi
po
hindi kami
makagalaw.
Marami
pong legal impediments along the way. 'Yun
pong
pagre-require
namin
sa
paglagay
po
namin
ng guidelines
hindi
po
sinusunod,"
Gardiola told the Senate panel.
(Because we cannot move on. There are many legal impediments along the way.
Out requirement on implementing guidelines are not being followed.)
Gardiola also confirmed that part of their recommendation to Congress was to blacklist
Angkas from the list of motorcycle taxis that can operate in the country "as they blatantly exhibited defiance on mandated guidelines set forth by the TWG."
The MMDA, meanwhile, expressed support for the recommendation of the TWG
due to issues with
Angkas.
"If safety issue
po
talaga
ang
kukwestyunin we support
Angkas.
Sa MMDA side,
sa safety issue
kasi may training 'yan but
lagi
namin
tinatanong is how you can regulate '
yung motorcycle taxi," MMDA General Manager
Jojo Garcia said.
Garcia added that
if tricycles are banned on national roads, it should be the same with motorcycle taxis.
The MMDA chief also noted that there have been
an estimated 27,000
motorcyle accidents in 2019 with
more than 1.2 million registered motorcycles. The MMDA, however, said it cannot identify which of these are with ride hailing apps or private vehicles. — Patricia Lourdes Viray