Motorcycle Hailing Services Are to be Discontinued By March 2020

It was announced that motorcycle hailing services such as Angkas must halt operations after March 23, 2020
This announcement was made after a multiagency technical working group said such services were still operational because of the study that they were doing
This was also announced only a few days after TWG announced limiting the members of Angkas to 10,000 from their current 27,000 riders

Manila, Philippines – Traveling within Metro Manila has become a chore, even before the holidays came. Slow moving traffic is expected and very unpredictable. Ride-hailing services can also be hard to book, but thanks to motorcycle hailing services such as Angkas, they provide a new option for traveling, but it looks like that may end soon.

Riders of the motorcycle hailing app Angkas gather to protest the latest LTFRB ruling. Image credit: teknogadyet.com

From an article by The Inquirer, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board member Antonio Gardiola has announced that the technical working group (TWG) that he was chairman of were doing a study on how viable such motorcycle hailing services are, and that the study will end by March 23. After that, their services cannot operate anymore.

It was said that the study was already extended and that they are no seeing a reason to extend it further. The extension is also due to the changes in Angkas, where they are limiting their members from 27,000 to 10,000.

The extension of the study will happen from January next year until March 23, and then after that, all motorcycle hailing services will be stopped and any caught operating will be apprehended.

Gardiola also added that there currently is no law that amends Republic Act No. 4136, that allows motorcycles for public transport. When they were asked about a realistic option to give to help the metro’s traffic problem, transport consultant and TWG member Bert Suansing has said that it is no longer problem of the TWG.