Imee Marcos slams driver-cap on motorcycle taxis

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Imee Marcos on Sunday slammed the decision of the Department of Transportation  Technical Working Group (DOTr TWG) to impose a cap on motorcycle taxi-service providers, saying that equal participation would not necessarily mean fair competition.

“There’s an add-subtract scheme going on,” Marcos said in Filipino. “To make it all look equal, they cut down on the experience drivers of one company on the possibility that they might be forced to just join new companies that still lack drivers.”

Marcos added that the TWG did not consult with lawmakers during the meetings on motorcycle taxis held in November and December 2019.

“The DOTr need not pretend that by making everything equal is aimed at achieving fair competition and freedom of choice, because it’s Congress that will make the law to ensure all of that,” Marcos said.

In addition, Marcos said that including two more motorcycle taxi-service providers in the pilot run would not necessarily give drivers more options.

“The DOTr misses the point when it says it’s giving drivers the freedom of choice as to which company they would join,” she said. “It’s not freedom of choice when you’re threatening drivers that they would lose their jobs in their company. So they may well apply to another company.”

In December 2019, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it would impose a 10,000-biker limit on motorcycle taxi-service providers.

READ: Angkas laments 10,000-biker limit set by LTFRB in extended pilot run

The LTFRB made the decision after the end of the six-month pilot run of Angkas, which was then extended for another three months with two more companies joining.

READ: 2 new operators to rival Angkas as pilot run extended for 3 months

/atm