1
Z. THURSDAY JANUARY 23,2020
Motor taxi cap increased;
pilot test area expanded
All is well that ends well as far as
mobrcyde taxis and their patsons are
oncemed.
The House Committee on Transpor-
tation daircd by Samar Rep. Edgar
Sarmiento yesGrday announced the
end of the impasse regarding the op-
eration of popular motoq/de taxi ser-
vices as authorfies agrced to increase
the cap on the number of niCers 6 adjusting it Or extending it " C€rdiola
well as the e)eansion of the pilot test-
ing area to Visayas and Mindanao.
Mudr of the groundwork for this
breakthrough wEs laid down during
a meeting last Tuesday between De-
partment of Transporbtion Secrebry
Art Tugade and represenbti\es of
motorcycle taxi ompanies Angkat
Move It, and JoyRide.
Land Transporbton Frandising
and Regulatory Board Board Nlember
Antonio Gardiola Jr., who last Monday
said that motorcydes-for-hire will be
declared "illegal" starting next weel!
also attended the meeting. He sang
a different tune yesterday following
the panel-hearing.
"I just want to relay what the Sec-
retary said yesGrday. Yung study po
natin hanggang Mardt 23, but still
he is very open, he is very open to
said, revealing a \rery lenient set-up
br the-three aompanies moving for-
wam-
He said the original 30,000 rider
cap (or 10,000 for each company)
will be raised to 45,000 (15,000
each) in Mebo Manila, which is the
pilot area for Luzon. Moreover, Cebu
will now sen/e as the pilot area fur
Visayas, while Caga)ran de Oro City
will be for Mindanao.
Gardiola said the total nation-
wide cap will noi^/ be63,000, as ap-
proved by Tugade.
Sarmiento said that this number
can even increase if needed to ac-
mmmodate other riders for other
service providers such as loyride.
'The number is now irrele\rant.
Kailangan blaga, lahat ng ma-
nanakay, kung kailangan, ibigay
muna natin sa kanila. Huwag na
natin pigilan ang numero. Mahirap
na pag pigilin natin, alam naman
naun ang dahilan. Napakasikip ng
kalsada, ang motorsiklo na lang
ang pinakamadaling sakyan," said
the House panel chairman. (Ellson
Quismorio) pz<tz-z