Angkas projects growth, expansion imminent
IN the long struggle to legitimize the use of motorcycles as taxis, one company has been at the forefront of the fight, using every means and platform to send the message that two-wheeled vehicles are indeed the best solution to the growing traffic congestion in urban centers in the Philippines.
Angkas began as a joke among transportation companies, ribbing founder George Royeca that his idea was unachievable, intolerable and would not be patronized by commuters because it was not done before. Motorcycles are personal carriers and are not a suitable form of public transport, the critics argued.
A decade later, after much debate, conflict, numerous congressional hearings, fights and reconciliation with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Angkas is now the biggest and most patronized motorcycle taxi app in the country’s urban centers.
I talked with Royeca over a casual dinner a few weeks back, and we touched on his plans for expansion.
Of course, I earlier heard of his plans to enter the four-wheel version of this phenomenal ride-hailing app craze, and I wanted to know his thoughts on this matter.
It was interesting to note that contrary to “maritess” information, Angkas has yet to develop the app and information technology backbone of his new child “Angcars.” But really, that branding resonates so well with his successful Angkas brand that it may have some modicum of success.
The thing is, some sectors have been criticizing Grab for their move to have both four-wheelers and two-wheelers under its wings. So, if Angkas decides to venture into four-wheelers, it may encounter the same resistance.
Of course, it goes without saying that business tends to expand into its logical direction, and both Grab and Angkas are allowed to do so without the interference of government and vested interest groups out to disrupt because they cannot compete in the same industry.
Just the same, I am looking forward to this new venture of Angkas, this “Angcars,” and how it will impact and change, again, the public transport scene in the Philippines.
Stradcom vs Dermalog fight continues
In another front, the LTO seems to be in a bind right now because the two information technology (IT) system providers it has having parallel operations seem to be heading for a clash.
The good Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista just came out with a memorandum last week clarifying that there was no contract that will be canceled between the government and Dermalog because the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) is owned and operated by the Department of Transportation (DoTr). Hence, the German company was merely the developer and maintenance provider of the system.
Stradcom decided to bring the whole issue to the courts to ask them to cancel the transaction between the government and Dermalog, abandoning its campaign at the legislative level.
What I do not understand is why LTO continuously uses two IT system providers that directly clash with each other.
We have already seen the result when three Bugatti Chiron were illegally imported and registered. After an intensive investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation, it was found that the multimillion supercars were not in the database of the LTMS run by Dermalog.
Now, we do not want to make any conclusions and this is where we will stop on the issue of how these supercars acquired fraudulent papers from the LTO.
Our point is simple: Having two IT system providers run the risk of more incidents like this occurring in the future. And many may have happened in the past because of two systems running at the same time.
Methinks LTO and DoTr should finally decide which system to use that will benefit the citizenry much better. We have seen the results in the last few years, at least the real customers like car owners and drivers for their registration and licenses. So, the choice should be a little easier.