BACKRIDING will be allowed only on private motorcycles, not on motorcycle taxis, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified on Monday, June 22, 2020.
Roque said motorcycle taxi services like Angkas will have to wait for a franchise from Congress since the government-sanctioned pilot run of their services has ended.
“Kaya po walang Angkas o ibang taxi service kasi wala po silang prankisa. Kailangan po muna nilang kumuha sa Kongreso,” Roque said.
(There will be no Angkas or any other motorcycle taxi services. They need to secure a congressional franchise.)
Roque said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has already submitted a proposal before the House of Representatives.
However, he did not specify the recommendations made by the agency.
“Isinumite naman po ng DOTr ang kanilang rekomendasyon sa mababang kapulungan. Hintayin nalang po natin ang magiging desisyon ng ating mga mambabatas,” he said.
(The DOTr has submitted its recommendations to the lower chamber. Let us wait for the decision of our legislators.)
In a statement, the DOTr said lawmakers need to pass a law which will legalize motorcycle taxi operations as public transport.
“We submitted our recommendations to the House of Representatives and are awaiting their action if they will be allowed to continue operations,” the agency said.
“There is nothing to resume in the meantime, unless a new law is passed legalizing their operations as a public transport mode,” it said.
The government’s pilot run of motorcycle taxis ended in April.
The pilot run was supposed to determine the safety of motorcycle taxis as a mode of public transportation.
“Natapos na po ang testing period. Hindi na po pu-puwede iyong nakagawian, tayo po ay papunta sa ‘new normal’,” Roque said.
Roque on June 20 said motorcycle backriding has been allowed on principle, but this is still under study by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
“Pinagaaralan ng IATF na payagan ang backriding ng private motorcycles, subject to health and safety protocols,” Roque said. (SunStar Philippines)