SEN. Grace Poe affirmed Wednesday senators are likely to adopt a long-pending proposal to allow the use of motorcycles-for-hire just like other public utility vehicles (PUV).
Poe, who chairs the franchise-granting Senate Committee on Public Services, gave assurances that the Senate will back a bill intended to legitimize motorcycle taxis.
Once passed into law, it will allow motorcycles that have secured franchises to take on passengers, just like taxis, as a PUV.
The use of motorcycle taxis became in vogue before the pandemic, but owing to safety and regulatory issues, land transportation authorities deemed it best to first “pilot” their use, though this was largely limited to two pioneers.
When the pandemic hit Philippine shores and public transportation was severely curtailed with the lockdowns, the use of motorcycle taxis again suffered a setback. But with alert levels easing and people start clamoring for cheaper forms of commuting, the call to allow motorcycle taxis officially—and on a larger scale—has grown larger.
Under Senate Bill 4136, the motorbikes-for-hire will be required to register as they enter into the motorbike-ride-hailing online platforms.
According to Poe, all senators supported the Public Services panel’s committee report when it was submitted in February, so she expected the enabling bill to be approved with no hitches up to its thrid and final reading.
She added they already conveyed the Senate bill to their House counterparts, conveying hopes of easy approval of a single version in both chambers the enabling bill can be signed into law by Malacañang before the 18th Congress adjourns.
Congress is on break until May 23, when it meets again for six session days before adjourning. The 18th Congress ends its term on June 30.