Illegal operations
Some local chief executives may find the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order on the temporary operations of Angkas gravely disadvantageous now that the motorcycle ridehailing app has become an emerging force in the country’s transport industry.
It cannot be denied that since Angkas started to operate, it has been benefiting thousands of commuters across the country, especially those in areas where public transport is a daily problem and people have to rely on motorcycles.
In Cebu City, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the Supreme Court ruling against Angkas is unfavorable to the city residents, especially those in mountain areas where the only alternative means of transportation is the motorcycle-forhire or habal-habal.
The ruling SC also effectively affected the operations of habal-habal, which has become an inseparable part of the daily lives of those living in the upland areas where there is no presence of public utility jeepneys.
For Osmeña, habal-habals are simply a fact of life because no alternative means of transportation exists in the mountains, even vouching for the safety and professional practices of their drivers.
“They made them safer by making drivers identifiable and requiring drivers to provide clean helmets to passengers and install speed limiters in their bikes. They reduced overpricing. They even helped with the traffic by allowing direct pickups instead of having all the bikes wait by the street,” the mayor added.
Yes, the high court’s ruling may have sidelined thousands who have to rely on Angkas and habal-habal for their daily routine. But it simply just reiterated the law when it granted the TRO on Angkas operations.
Many seem to have forgotten that the issue here is not about the usefulness of Angkas nowadays but its legality to carry passengers. The law is clear that motorcycles cannot be used as public transport.
Unless there’s a new law allowing motorcycles to be used as public transport, the operations of Angkas and habal-habal will continue to be illegal.