Poe: LTFRB can allow motorcycle taxis pending law

Metro Manila, Philippines – Thousands of riders need not lose their jobs even if Congress adjourns without passing a law legalizing motorcycle taxis, as the regulatory agency can allow them to continue operating pending legislation, a lawmaker said Saturday, Jan. 18.

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance and former head of the Senate Committee on Public Services which tackled the motorcycle-for-hire bills, made this clarification after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) warned that 60,000 motorcycle taxi riders could lose their jobs if Congress fails to legalize their operations.

"Sa mga kababayan, huwag po kayong mag-alala sapagkat napaka-importante nitong serbisyo na ito ng mga motorcycles for hire, at hindi ito dapat itigil ng LTFRB dahil lang hindi pa naipapasa ang batas," Poe said in a statement.

[Translation: To my fellow countrymen, do not worry because this motorcycle-for-hire service is very important, and the LTFRB should not stop it just because the law has not yet been passed.]

"Nasa LTFRB naman talaga ang deadline kung itutuloy nila ito o hindi. Pwede naman silang magkaroon ng extension pending the passage of the bill. Sila naman yung pumapayag dyan," she added.

[Translation: The deadline is really up to the LTFRB. They can grant an extension pending the passage of the bill. After all, they are the ones who have agreed to this.]

Motorcycle taxis are allowed to serve passengers under a pilot test program approved by Congress in June 2019, which has been extended indefinitely. Riders have been urging lawmakers to pass a measure that would permanently legalize their operations, fearing they could be considered illegal when the 19th Congress adjourns on June 30.

Poe said lawmakers are still working on a comprehensive law to address various aspects of motorcycle taxi operations, including licenses, vehicle specifications, discounts, insurance, and safety regulations.

She also mentioned that if the LTFRB sought "legal cover," the Senate could pass a resolution supporting the extension of the motorcycle taxi pilot program while lawmakers continue working on the bill.

Earlier, Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, vowed to fast-track the passage of the bill. The House of Representatives passed the proposed Motorcycles-For-Hire Act in July 2024.