Angkas in Cebu City to ask help from Tomas

Angkas drivers in Cebu City will be asking city government to help them resolve the issue on the order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board's (LTFRB) stopping their operation.

Delfin G. Adolfo, acting officer of the Two-wheeled Motorized Vehicle Monitoring Coordination and Assistance Unit (TMV-MCAU), hopes that Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Arnel Tancinco, head of TMV-MCAU, can help them address the problem as this will cause the drivers big loss in income.

“They will be apprehended as soon as the order will be implemented. I hope, the issue will be resolved as soon as possible as driver will surely lose their livelihood,” Adolfo said in Cebuano.

TMV-MCAU is a monitoring body that was established through an executive order issued by Osmeña to oversee the motorcycle-for-hire or “habal-habal” operation in the city.

The LTFRB has earlier questioned the legality of Angkas' operation due to lack of permits from the agency.

Osmeña said the commuting public benefits from Angkas as drivers will pick up passengers in their current location instead of having them walk to terminals or standby areas.

“What Angkas is doing is really good for us because we have to live with the realities that habal-habal is a necessary public service. It is better if it is regulated in some way, which Angkas has been able to accomplish for the benefit of the city. There are no loading stations in Angkas. They do not block the roads in other areas because they are on call. It will help improve traffic,” Osmeña said.

“If they make a rule in Manila, we cannot defy that. But it's not my priority to implement. I will not say I will not arrest them, I'm just saying it's not my priority,” he added.

TMV-MCAU oversees over more than 2,000 motorcyclefor-hire drivers in the city who are registered in Angkas.

Adolfo said that most motorcycle-for-hire drivers have registered with Angkas since they can earn more in the ridehailing service.

“They have better income because Angkas looks for passengers for the drivers. That's the advantage as compared to being an ordinary habal–habal driver,” he said.

Drivers who are members of Angkas earn as much as P800, which is higher than the P500 that they earn when they were only regular habal-habal drivers.

The payment of Angkas also has a fixed rate unlike habalhabal when the driver and passenger negotiate on the price.

Adolfo said that habal-habal drivers tend to take advantage of this, hence there should also be a fixed rate implemented for them.

This is already implemented in barangays like Kasambagan, Banilad, and Guadalupe.

As of yesterday, Angkas is still operating in the city, said Adolfo.