The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Monday expressed the view that the market being served by motorcycle taxis is different from that served by jeepneys and tricycles and on this premise ruled out zero-sum competition where one sectors takes over the market of the other.
According to LTFRB chief Teofilo Guadiz III, motorcycle taxis do not compete directly with jeepneys and tricycles as their client base is entirely different from that served by the existing public transportation services and therefore do not harm their livelihood.
“The client base of motorcycle taxis is different. These are those who hurry from their house to go to the office,” Guadiz said.
He also noted the jeepney client base is ferried from one terminal to another terminal.
This develops as Congress endeavors to finalize the draft legislation on motorcycles-for-hire and transport regulators pilot the viability of such services offered by Angkas, Move It and JoyRide.
House Transportation committee chairman and Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said that in finalizing the law governing motorcycles for hire, Congress factor the various influences including the impact of motorcycle taxis on other modes of transportation.
Acop said commuters take the motorcycle taxis given their affordability and the convenience they represent and that the absence of efficient public transportation makes them even more useful.
“Again I would like to stress that the lack of efficient public transportation paved the way for the proliferation of motorcycle taxis as an alternative mode of moving people,” said the lawmaker.
“Our commuters do so not only because these motorcycle taxis are cheaper and more accessible but also because they wish to avoid the stressful and time-consuming traffic in several urban areas,” he said.
The House Committee on Transportation is even now completing the draft motorcycle-for-hire legislation and that the measure is “a legislative priority of the House.”
“This is in response to the pronouncement of our president, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which was echoed by our speaker––Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez––to legalize and expand the operations of motorcycle taxis,” he said.
