MOTORCYCLE ride-hailing application Angkas will have a competitor in Metro Cebu starting next week, and it is called Joyride.
Noli Eala, Joyride’s vice president for corporate affairs, said they want to help the Cebuano commuters in beating the traffic by offering their motorcycle taxi services. He said they decided the Joyride’s presence in Metro Cebu as necessary, and it is an opportunity for the firm to “entice and invite the habal-habal sector” to join in the motorcycle taxi service.
Pilot run
Joyride is part of the pilot implementation of the Department of Transportation-Technical Working Group (DOTr-TWG).
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office, Inter-Agency Council on Traffic and the legal office of the DOTr are the TWG members.
The TWG chose Angkas, Joyride and MoveIt to participate in the motorcycle taxi pilot run. The TWG conducted its initial study on June 23-Dec. 26, 2019, and it later extended the pilot run until March 23, 2020.
This is to gather data for Congress in crafting a legislation that will legalize motorcycle taxi in the Philippines.
Joyride is targeting an initial fleet of 3,000 to 4,500 Cebuano riders as part of the TWG study phase.
According to the initial guidelines set by the LTFRB, only 10,000 motorcycle taxis are allowed to ply in one locality. The number would be divided among the three ride-hailing app. The LTFRB has yet to release an implementation order for the new set of guidelines for the motorcycle taxis.
Old law
Section 7 (c) of Republic Act (RA) 4136, or the Land Transportation Code, prohibits motorcycles and other private vehicles from being used for hire.
Several lawmakers had filed bills to amend the law as it is old.
The law was passed on June 20, 1964, or 55 years ago when the major cities in the Philippines had only few cars.
In 1981, there was a little over a million registered vehicles, according to the LTO report quoted by ceicdata.com. The registered data in December 2019 was 12.7 million. The Philippines saw a 1,164.9 percent increase in registered vehicles in a span of 38 years.
Cebuano riders
Eala said Joyride is hopeful that it will get more riders to serve in Metro Cebu area.
“Currently, Joyride is operating in Metro Manila as part of the pilot run,” he said.
Edwin Rodriguez, Joyride’s chief business development adviser, said they currently have 1,000 riders undergoing training on road safety rules. Their units are also being assessed for road-worthiness. (JOB, JCT)