Press Release
February 18, 2020

POE ENDORSES MOTORCYCLE TAXI BILL FOR SENATE APPROVAL

Sen. Grace Poe on Tuesday officially endorsed for Senate approval Senate Bill No. 1341, or the "Motorcycle-for-Hire Act," legalizing and regulating motorcycle taxis.

Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, sponsored the bill contained in Committee Report No. 46, as she reiterated the immediate need to regulate the two-wheeled vehicles as legal public transport utilities even as she believed that a better mass transport system should be achieved.

Poe expressed gratitude to her colleagues for the unanimous support as all senators co-authored the bill.

"I am proud to present to the body for its consideration the legalization of motorcycle-for-hire. Isabatas na po natin ang pampublikong motorsiklo," she said.

Poe said the legalization and regulation would help address safety risks present in both registered motorcycle-for-hire and the "colorums" or habal-habal as well as improve commuter welfare by giving them the option to choose legitimate service providers.

The bill, which is an amendment to Republic Act No. 4136, or the Land Transportation and Tariff Code, defines motorcycles-for-hire as any two-wheeled motor vehicle registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), which transports passengers and goods on a for-hire basis, and which may utilize online ride hailing or pre-arranged transportation platforms.

The measure requires motorcycle-for-hire to secure a certificate of public convenience or a special permit issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, aside from the usual vehicle and driver registration.

Poe said that like all other public utility vehicles, drivers would be required to undergo rigorous training, motorcycle-for-hire service providers would be strictly regulated, and only up-to-standards motorcycles will be utilized.

Data from the LTO showed that there are more or less 18.8 million motorcycles comprising 71 percent of the total registered vehicles in the country.

Records also showed that one out of three Filipino households owns a motorcycle and 51 percent of these are being used for livelihood. There are also 134 habal-habal terminals in Metro Manila alone.

"Ito mismo ang dahilan kung bakit natin gustong kilalanin ang motorsiklo bilang pampublikong sasakyan. Their numbers grew as traffic congestion worsened; demand remained high even without a law regulating their operations," Poe said.

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