Following a four-year study that tries to see the viability of motorcycle vehicles as a means of public transport, Senator Grace Poe is convinced of the two-wheeler’s practicality on the road.

Poe is the author of Senate Bill No. 104, which aims to enable and regulate motorcycles as public utility vehicles.

Citing the study, which was conducted by the technical working group (TWG), Poe highlights the overwhelming majority—or 96 percent of motorcycle taxi passengers—who found it favorable to legalize the so-called motorcycle taxis.

Per the study, the appeal seems to draw from the ride’s affordability and transport time, especially in clogged streets of the city where such a vehicle is allowed to traverse.

The pilot run started in 2019, which saw motorcycle transport network companies (TNC) Angkas, Move It, and Joyride deploying a combined 45,000 riders in Metro Manila.

Angkas-Riders
Credit: Angkas

Drawing data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Philippine senator said that there are some 19.2 million motorcycles in the country, roughly representing 87 percent of all registered motor rides as of 2022.

Further, she mentioned that one in every three households in the country owns at least a motorcycle, 51 percent of which used them as a means of livelihood, insinuating its potential as a source of income.

With Metro Manila being notorious for its worsening traffic, Poe stated that commuters are constantly on the lookout for an alternative means of transport.

But while Senator Grace Poe is keen on pushing for allowing motorcycles to be used as public utility vehicles, she stressed the need to abide by the highest standards of road safety.

This article, After 4-year pilot study, motorcycle taxis proposed to be legalized in PH, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to’s.