Motorcycle taxi operator Move It has formally appealed a regulatory order from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that would slash its Metro Manila fleet by more than half and suspend its operations in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.
In its motion for reconsideration, Move It called the LTFRB directive “unjust and discriminatory,” arguing that the decision lacked public consultation, relied on outdated figures, and violated due process and equal protection principles. The company also stressed that the ruling could displace 14,000 riders, disrupting livelihoods and undermine the goals of the government’s motorcycle taxi pilot program, which aims to formalize informal motorcycle transport providers.
The LTFRB’s order would cut Move It’s rider allocation to 6,836, referencing a 2020 press release. Move It countered that this figure was never formalized as a regulatory cap and that official guidelines later that year permitted up to 15,000 riders per operator. The company argued that using a press statement as a regulatory basis is “ultra vires”, or beyond the LTFRB’s legal authority.
Move It also claimed discriminatory enforcement, noting that rival firms Angkas and Joyride have on boarded over 50,000 and 19,500 riders respectively without facing similar penalties. “Penalizing solely Move It without reasonable basis violates the equal protection clause,” the filing said.
Commercially, the restrictions threaten Move It’s regional expansion strategy and could deter investor confidence in the motorcycle taxi sector, which remains in regulatory limbo years after the pilot program began.
Move It is seeking a temporary suspension of the LTFRB order and a formal affirmation of its right to operate up to 15,000 riders nationwide, including continued presence in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.
