The Senate committee on public services headed by Sen. Grace Poe will conduct a public hearing on Jan. 14, Tuesday on bills proposing to regulate the use of motorcycles as safe and alternative public utility vehicles.
The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. at the Senate Session Hall and will tackle the four bills on motorcycle taxis filed by Poe and fellow Senators Sonny Angara, Imee Marcos and Ralph Recto.
“The long lines of commuters waiting for rides leave no doubt that we need alternative public utility vehicles. We hope this hearing will help find solutions to issues on safety, legality and other questions that need to be threshed out towards an efficient transport system as a whole,” Poe stressed.
At the hearing, Poe said she would ask for updates from the Department of Transportation on the pilot implementation of motorcycle taxis which started in June 2019.
“The results of the pilot run will be an important guide for the committee in crafting the final version of the bill,” she said.
“Our ultimate goal is availability, safety and comfort for our riding public,” Poe explained.
The cap set by the regulator on the number of motorcycle taxis and issues concerning ownership will also be tackled in the hearing.
Under Poe’s Senate Bill 128 or the proposed Motorcycles-for-Hire Act of 2019, operators of motorcycle taxis may utilize online ride-hailing or pre-arranged transportation platforms.
When passed into law, it will amend Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code. (Press Release)
