A motorcycle taxi riders’ group renewed its call on Labor Day for lawmakers to pass the long-pending Motorcycle Taxi Bill, urging the formal recognition of riders as independent transport workers and stronger safeguards for their livelihoods.
In a statement, Motorcycle Taxi Community chairman Romeo Maglunsod said any legalization effort must reflect the realities of gig work, where riders operate as independent service providers rather than employees tied to a single platform.
“As freelancers, we deserve respect, freedom, and protection as Filipino workers,” Maglunsod said, underscoring the sector’s growing role in urban mobility.
The group said the proposed measure should grant franchise rights directly to individual riders and their registered motorcycles, instead of assigning operating slots to digital platforms. Maglunsod argued that the current platform-based cap system is outdated and fails to reflect the dynamics of the gig economy.
“The franchise should be given to the individual rider and their motorcycle—not to the platforms,” he said, adding that riders, like jeepney and tricycle operators, should hold transport rights linked to their vehicles.
The group also called for greater flexibility, allowing riders to choose platforms and set their own working hours—an arrangement they said is central to gig-based livelihoods.
It further urged operators to strengthen support systems, including insurance coverage, fair incentives, and more robust demand-generation mechanisms.
The continued delay in passing the bill, the group said, has left thousands of riders in limbo amid rising costs.
“Every day of delay is another day of uncertainty,” Maglunsod said, calling on lawmakers to act swiftly.
