THE law that prohibits the use of motorcycles for public transport is antiquated and is in dire need of amendments, a former chief of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) commented on the recent termination order against motorbike-hailing app Angkas.
Winston M. Ginez, who spearheaded the creation of policies that now govern transportation network companies (TNCs) like Grab when he was still the chairmain of the land transport regulator, said the prohibition on the use of two-wheeled vehicles for public transport is now not in tune with the demands of the time.
“The 1964-enacted Land Transportation and Traffic Code prohibits motorcycles to be used as a public-utility vehicle or common carrier. I agree that said prohibition is antiquated. It’s a bad law now, considering that motorbike ride sharing is now very popular in Asia,” he said in a social-media post.
However, Ginez, a lawyer, noted that transport officials are bound by the law, whether it’s harsh or not.
“I agree that transportation law must be dynamic. It must and should keep abreast with the tides and flow of the changing times, especially in these ‘disruptive’ times. However, the hands of transport regulators and policy-makers are bound by our existing laws,” he said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday effectively allowed transport regulators to resume the apprehension of Angkas riders, finding merit to the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) petition.
A few hours after the decision, the LTFRB issued a resolution ordering its partrol units to apprehend and impound Angkas riders found to have been operating as public-utility vehicles (PUVs). They are not prohibited to other business models such as parcel deliveries.
Ginez said that while he understands that the law should be implemented, lawmakers should also take a look into amending this already five-decade-old law.
“Why is it that for 54 years since the Land Transportation and Traffic Code was enacted, no forward-looking and innovative member of Congress sought the amendment of the law to allow motorcycles to be used as PUVs?” he asked.
Angkas plans to exhaust all legal means to continue its operations, citing the livelihood of 25,000 driver-partners, which have a safety record of 99.99 percent.