A House deputy speaker wants transportation regulators to legalize the services of motorcycles-for-hire as public-utility vehicles (PUVs).
Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund Villafuerte, in a news statement, said he filed House Bill 4652 to ensure the safety of their passengers amid the increasing popularity of ride-hailing services.
HB 4652 aims to amend Sections 3 and 7 of Republic Act 4136 to include motorcycle-for-hire in the definition of terms and in the classification of vehicles that would be required for registration with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The bill is pending before the House Committee on Transportation.
It also aims to recognize motorcycles for hire, or habal-habal or motorcycle taxis, as a legitimate mode of public transportation in the country.
Motorcycles-for-hire currently operate in Metro Manila, Cebu, and the cities of General Santos and Cagayan de Oro.
Under HB 4652, motorcycles-for-hire are declared as common carriers “for purposes of determining the liability and degree of diligence that must be observed in the course of transporting passengers or goods, and the presumption of negligence in breach of contract shall, likewise, apply to them.”
The LTFRB and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) are tasked to ensure the roadworthiness of motorcycles-for-hire before registration or renewal of registration.
Villafuerte, in the same statement, said the first order of business for the LTFRB is to require motorcycle service providers to obtain insurance coverage for their drivers and their passengers, as well as insurance to cover third-party liabilities.
He said the Department of Transportation (DOTr), in turn, is mandated to prescribe the routes and require the establishment of terminals for these motorcycles.
“Number one priority in transporting people is the safety and welfare of the passengers and the driver. In welcoming a new age of public transportation, this bill seeks to set the groundwork to make motorcycles safe and secure for the riding public and the operators,” said Villafuerte.
To
further ensure safety, the bill said no modifications shall be made on
motorcycles-for-hire, except the installation, based on safe engineering design
specifications, of motorcycle luggage carrier, saddlebag, stepboard or foot peg
and appropriate speed limiter and monitoring device.