TRO filed vs illegal motor taxis

Combined, thousands of motorcycles illegally booking and transporting passengers ply the roads, unduly exposing petitioners’ members to road hazards and increased risk of accidents

Commuter safety advocates formally filed a petition to restrain various groups from operating motorcycle taxis.

In a press briefing, Lawyers for Commuter Safety and Protection (LCSP) filed an injunction with application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/ or writ of preliminary injunction against five motorcycle taxi companies, namely We Move Things Philippines Inc. (Joyride), Habal Rides Corp., I-Sabay, Sampa-Dala Corp. and Trans-Serve Corp.

According to the petition letter submitted to the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City on 3 December, operations of the five motor taxis are unauthorized and may cause grave and substantial damage to the public.

“Combined, thousands of motorcycles illegally booking and transporting passengers ply the roads, unduly exposing petitioners’ members to road hazards and increased risk of accidents,” the petition read.

The five motorcycle taxi companies identified as respondents in the petition were reported to have surfaced and have begun the onboarding of motorcycle bikers and accepting bookings for the transport of passengers.

To date, Joyride has already onboarded 3,000 bikers and have constructed their own office where recruitment is currently done.

Meanwhile, I-Sabay 24/7 and Sampa both make use of an application for drivers.

“The commuting public should not be used as guinea pigs by fly-by-night motorcycle taxi operators with zero track record,” said Atty. Ariel Inton of LCSP.

Inton, a former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) member, said that the LCSP’s main thrust is to promote commuter safety and uphold the rights of commuters, road users and pedestrians to a safe mode of transportation.

He underscored they have an absolute right to prevent respondents from organizing its fleet of motorcycles for hire and avert its operations which prejudice the riding public.

He added the motorcycle taxi operations are being conducted outside of the pilot program of the Department of Transportation (DoTr).

Inton emphasized the pilot test cannot be considered as a “free for all” for those who might want to engage in the same business precisely because of the absence of any law or policy regulating the activity.

Early this year, the House of Representatives passed Resolution 2449 urging the DoTr to implement a pilot program allowing, monitoring, and regulating the operation of duly registered and organized motorcycles-for-hire as an alternative public transport utility.

The DoTr then instructed various agencies to form a technical working group (TWG) composed of stakeholders and experts from the government and the private sector to discuss issues attendant to the prospect of two-wheel vehicles operating as public transport.

Upon the recommendation of the TWG, the DoTr allowed the six-month pilot test for motorcycle taxi operations in the Philippines starting in July of this year.

Since then only the motorcycle ride-hailing app Angkas had been established and operating with an eight-month track record at the time.

Angkas became the sole subject of the pilot program which will end in December.

The five motorcycle taxi companies who are identified as the respondents in the LCSP petition are neither accredited by the TWG nor part of the pilot program.