Bill seeks to lift cap on motorcycle taxis

THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) said Friday the proposed motorcycle taxi law being finalized by the House of Representative will not impose caps on the number of motorcycle taxi franchises and their units.

Land Transportation Office chief and assistant secretary Vigor Mendoza II said the law should not specify caps on the number of motorcycle taxis which should be based on data and evidence.

“To put a cap at this early stage would be premature considering that there are so many factors of consideration in determining demand. Population is one, the need in a certain area is one––and all this is a matter of evidence that has to be proven,” Mendoza said.

Transportation Committee chairperson and Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said it would be unwise to set caps in the proposed motorcycle taxi law as this would be addressed by competition among players in the motorcycle taxi industry.

Acop said the Department of the Interior and Local Government allows local government units (LGUs) determine the caps on the number of tricycles in their respective jurisdictions.

1-RIDER Party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez said the members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) assigned to finalize the provisions of the motorcycle taxi bill were unanimous that limits should be determined by LGUs, and “will stand by not having hard caps on the proposed bill.”

Concerns were earlier raised regarding the number of motorcycle taxis that would be allowed to ply Philippine roads during the public hearing at Congress.

Ronald Gustilo of Digital Pinoys said his group was pushing for caps in the law due to the dangers of the oversupply of motorcycle taxis.

Gutierrez assuaged concerns on the oversupply of motorcycle taxis and emphasized that under the bill hammered out by the TWG, “determining the number of franchises to be issued, the LTFRB shall take into consideration the LPTRP (Local Public Transport Route Plan).”

“The LTFRB shall approve the routes and number of units that may be allowed ... there is no question on the fact on whether or not there will be limits, because there will be limits,” said Gutierrez.