Angkas to start pilot run this month

MANILA, Philippines — Motorcycle-taxi platform Angkas is looking to start before the end of the month its pilot run, which could pave the way for the legalization of the use of motorcycles in public transport in the country,  an official said yesterday.

George Royeca, Angkas regulatory affairs head, said they are retraining their fleet of 27,000 drivers before they can start the pilot run by the third week of this month.

 The Department of Transportation approved the pilot run last month following the release of general guidelines that cover safety requirements, fare matrix, data-sharing standards and key performance indicators for the motorcycle-taxi operations.  

Angkas has finished retraining some 12,000 of its drivers, Royeca said.

Angkas would also give its drivers special reflectorized vests that would also carry the driver’s identification number and side straps for passengers to hold on to, Royeca said.

 Angkas noted that while it has received applications and previously trained over 100,000 riders, it only accredited 27,000 to ensure passenger safety.

Angkas has a current safety record of 99.97 percent. 

Angkas officials assured the public that they have the necessary feedback mechanisms on their mobile platform to monitor the performance of their drivers and to address commuter concerns. 

The pilot implementation would help refine general guidelines that would lead to legislation covering motorcycle-taxi operations. 

Under the guidelines, drivers should drive no faster than 60 kilometers per hour and abide by all traffic rules and regulations as well as ensure that the vehicle is routinely maintained and in good condition.

A maximum of 10 hours of duty will be imposed on the drivers.

A fare matrix of P50 for the first two kilometers, an additional P10 per kilometer for the succeeding seven kilometers and another P15 for every kilometer afterwards shall be imposed in Metro Manila.

For Metro Cebu, the base fare would be P20 and an additional P16 per kilometer for the first eight kilometers and P20 for every kilometer in excess.  

A surge cap of 1.5x will also be imposed.