A newly formed commuters’ advocacy group has urged the government to explore the possibility of legalizing and regulating the operation of motorcycles as a form of public transport to ensure the safety of the riding public.

The Transport Watch made this call amid the proliferation of Facebook groups that offer “habal-habal” services or motorcycles-for-hire across the country.

Group convener Noemi Dado said they were able to monitor over the last six months various “underground” motorcycle ride-sharing groups on Facebook that have drivers offer their services to the public for a fee.

The existing scheme, Dado said, could compromise the safety and security of commuters since it lacks transparency and accountability mechanisms.

According to Dado, the nearly 200,000 members in each of the groups were not allowed to post negative feedbacks on the service, and were also required to delete their request each time they were able to get a ride.

Co-convener George Royeca said that since there are no records of the trips, commuters have no recourse should they get involved in road crash incident, or worse fall prey to unscrupulous individuals.

“It really poses a real threat not just to privacy but to commuter safety,” Royeca said.

Under Republic Act No. 4136, or the “Land Transportation and Traffic Code,” motorcycles could not be used to transport passengers for a fee. This was the basis of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) when it ordered the closure of motorcycle ride-sharing provider Angkas in 2017.

Sought for comment, LTFRB board member Aileen Lizada said they will coordinate with Transport Watch to help them determine all of the motorcycle groups on Facebook that are illegally offering their services nationwide. She noted that they will also seek the assistance of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as well as Facebook to shut down these groups.

Lizada added that these motorcycles will also be included in the anti-colorum operations of the newly created interagency group, “Task Force Kamao.”

Royeca pointed out though that shutting down the Facebook pages would not make the problem go away, as officials should understand that the use of habal-habal has become popular throughout the country due to the lack of transport options. Hence, it became the only alternative of poor commuters in getting around.

However, Lizada stressed that unless Congress comes out with new legislation amending the law that bans motorcycle as a public utility vehicle such operation is deemed illegal.

Currently, Dado said they are in talks with at least four lawmakers to revisit the country’s “antiquated” transport laws to address the need for inclusive mobility, and resolve transport issues that mostly affect the poor. /kga

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