THE resumption of operations of motorcycle taxis will help augment the crippling transport sector in the Philippines, according to the chief implementer of the National Policy Against Covid-19, and will greatly help in the recovery of the Philippine economy.
Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Policy Against Covid-19, said on Thursday companies like Angkas can help accommodate the over 400,000 workers who need public transport to go to and from their places of work.
As such, Galvez plans to talk to Congress to have the pilot study for motorcycle taxi operations resumed.
“Part of the plan is to increase capacity of mass transport, and part of the plan is to increase the number of public vehicles, especially the ride-hailing motorcycle taxi, which can increase the capacity to provide services to more than 400,000 workers,” he said in a news briefing.
He said this endorsement comes after finding that there were no recorded Covid-19 transmissions during the time when Angkas offered its services to health-care workers for free in the last few months, a move that was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
“We are doing this to ensure that we have adequate mass transportation for our workers and the general public as we continue to open up more of our economy. This is in line [with our goal to] empower our citizens to regain their livelihood and earn sustainable incomes,” he said.
Aside from Galvez, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque and Chief Testing Czar Vince Dizon also supported the resumption of the operations of motorcycle taxi operations.
“The IATF has endorsed that Angkas…be allowed to operate because this is the reality: We need to improved transportation. We welcome Angkas’ contribution in improving transportation,” Roque said.
Angkas Chief Transport Advocate George Royeca said his group is “grateful and humbled by the government’s approval for Angkas to operate again and provide safe and efficient transportation to our riding public.”
“We are ready and eager to serve, especially our commuters who are required to go back to work but are faced with a critical shortage in public transportation. Angkas would be pleased to fill that gap so that we could safely ferry our passengers to their destinations,” he said.
Royeca added that the resumption of Angkas’ motorcycle taxi operations will ensure the livelihood of 20,000 riders.
The motorcycle taxi pilot study ended in March and was not extended due to the pandemic. It was meant to evaluate the economic viability and safety of motorcycle taxis as a form of public transport. Aside from Angkas, two other motorcycle taxi operators were previously allowed by the government to operate provisionally.