Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTR) Secretary Jimmy Bautista said there will be no additional motorcycle (MC) taxis allocated within Metro Manila, contrary to speculations.
The clarification comes amid recent debates and calls for a moratorium on MC taxi expansion within the metropolitan area.
The House Committee on Metro Manila Development, in conjunction with various transport groups, is advocating for a temporary halt on MC taxi expansion, citing multiple concerns.
Bautista disclosed that the slots for MC units earlier announced by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) were intended outside of Metro Manila.
LTFRB chair Teofilo Guadiz III initially announced a moratorium on MC taxi expansion but not after the inclusion of four new players into the pilot study, with 2000 units allocated to each.
Guadiz stated that these new players would have until April 15 to complete their allocation.
“The LTFRB will already stop adding the MC taxi units in Metro Manila. The eight thousand slots for new players recently announced were intended only in the provinces,” Bautista said.
This decision aligns with the department’s vision to balance transportation services across different regions while addressing the specific needs and challenges of each area, the official said.
Earlier, one of the proponents of the measure endorsing the use of MC
taxis welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instruction to Congress to prioritize its passage.
“With this prioritization by no less than our President, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, we are hopeful, I think, sometime in the next few weeks, we’ll already be having our fourth technical working group meeting perhaps,” 1-Rider party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez is a co-author of his colleague, of 1-Rider party-list Rep. Bonifacio Bosita, of House Bill (HB) 3412.
“Definitely, this has already been fast-tracked given that prioritization by the President and the Speaker,” he added.
Romualdez notified House members over the weekend about the directive
of the President to expedite measures that will help mitigate the daily burden of commuters in public transport, like the proposal to use motorcycle taxis.