Angkas sees govt legalizing motorcycle taxi service soon

Ride-hailing service provider Angkas said it is optimistic the government will permanently legalize the operations of motorcycle taxis in the country within the year as the ongoing trial run proceeds smoothly.

“I’m always optimistic. The pilot is running very smoothly. We’ve been sending reports to the Department of Transportation.  We will be meeting with TWG [technical working group]  in a couple of weeks,” Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca said. 

“Based on the pilot, we can now craft a better law,” he said.

Angkas was granted by DOTr a six-month trial run that allowed the service to operate in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu in June this year.  There are 27,000 riders enlisted in the Angkas network.

“We at Angkas are dedicated to providing a safe and affordable option for everyone, and we will do whatever it takes to continue doing so,” Royeca said.

“Angkas is not the be-all solution to traffic—no single agency or company can do that. But because of our current partnership with DOTr, we’ve shown that we can at least ease the traffic by providing an inclusive transport option,” he said.

All 27,000 bike-partners were swiftly trained on new safety protocol to comply with the mandated requirements of the DOTr TWG. Angkas said it maintained a 99.997-percent safety record despite the initial speculation from government bodies on its safety.

“Financial losses incurred from delays caused by traffic affect both individuals and institutions. Before people even get to work, they are already exhausted from their commute,” Royeca said.

A study conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency showed the Philippines would lose P5.4 billion a day by 2035 if the traffic congestion problem was not properly addressed.