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FIRST PERSON

- ALEX MAGNO

About 14,000 riders working for Move It can heave a sigh of relief. Transport Secretary Vince Dizon put on hold an LTFRB directive for the firm to drastically reduce the number of motorcycle taxis serving the Metro Manila region.

The LTFRB directive reduced Move It's rider cap in the NCR from over 14,000 to just 6,836. In addition, the LTFRB ordered Move It to cease its operations in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro, which would adversely affect over 6,000 riders.

Move It filed a motion for reconsideration with the LTFRB. The motion questioned the legal basis for the LTFRB order. On the face of it, and without a clear law governing the deployment of motorcycle taxis, the agency's order seems whimsical.

For years, the transport network vehicle services (TNVS) waited for a law to be passed to make employment in the industry more secure. In the absence of a law, something called the Motorcycle Taxi Technical Working Group (MC Taxi TWG) of the LTFRB has been charged with regulating this emerging mode of transport services.

Under the present "experimental" arrangement, three transport network companies (TNCs) have been accredited: Angkas, JoyRide, and Move It. In an agreement forged on Feb. 12, 2020, a limit was set on the number of motorcycles allowed to ply in the NCR, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro. Based on their submissions, Angkas was allocated 20,000 riders, JoyRide 15,000, and Move It 6,836.

That agreement is now five years old and clearly in need of adjustment. The commuting public has been very receptive to this sort of service. In response, the TNCs increased their training and accreditation of riders to meet public demand.