"Thanks to these wiser senators."
"Thanks to these wiser senators."
Good thing reason prevailed after all the hullaballoo about eliminating the motorcycle taxi services on Metro Manila streets.
The senators proved they know better than the Transportation technical working group (TWG) that would have caused Secretary Art Tugade great embarrassment in its threat to shut down Angkas and the other ride-along taxis.
Tugade, on the recommendation of Senator Bong Go, did just the right thing and directed the TWG to continue instead with the pilot run, and complete with the study to be submitted to the Senate. The DOTr chief also ordered the biker slots for each motorcycle taxi firms.
The glorified casuals in the TWG have wasted time and people's money in its failure to finish its task in a timely fashion, engaging in a childish bickering with the motorcycle taxi firms. What have they been doing all this time to address the ails of mass transport?
To threaten to stop such transport services altogether based on frivolous grounds smacks of insensitivity and stupidity, which did not escape the wiser Senators Bong Go, Imee Marcos, Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva and Raffy Recto.
The motorcycle taxis have proven to be a viable mode of transportation for hundreds of thousands of commuters who otherwise would revert to the agony of chasing jeepneys and jampacked buses daily.
The advantage of taking Angkas, JoyRide, Sampa and MoveIt is one gets picked up at any location and gets dropped at the exact destination for much less cost than taking Grab or taxicabs.
That’s the reason why the public welcomed the proposal to legalize the motorcycle taxi operations in the wake of Angkas' months of suspension last year. Who can blame the commuters for suspecting the ulterior motives in the questionable decisions of the TWG officials?
During the suspension of Angkas, commuters merely got back to riding the colorum “habal-habal,” anyway. Ironically, concerned authorities have failed to go after these illegal transport services, reportedly a source of “tong” collection.
I agree with Senator Imee Marcos’ observation that adapting this mode of transportation for now is imperative while the Duterte administration build the mass transportation system and infrastructure that previous administrations miserably failed to accomplish.
Thanks to the wisdom of the senators who saved the day for the metro’s commuters.