A Relief for Commuters: Taxis and Angkas are Back to Operate their Services

More relief for commuters coping with the shortage of transportation choices is in sight with the green light obtained by motorcycle taxi firm Angkas to hit the roads again beginning on November 23rd, eight months after they were first suspended in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bong Nebrija, MMDA EDSA traffic leader, shared that some 6,000 Angkas units have already been mobilized while JoyRide and Transfer, fellow motorcycle taxi operators will also be checked and permitted to operate until authorized.

As a note, the ban on motorcycle taxi services came after the hearing, with the Angkas, Joy Ride and MoveIt ride-hailing apps formally stopping in March. The MMDA also noted, he said, with the holiday season approaching, a large rise in vehicles going to malls.

In the middle of what many called a mass transit crisis in Metro Manila, pre-pandemic, motorcycle bike taxis soon became common choices for travelers, calls that have now carried on to the coronavirus pandemic, with most public transportation running under reduced capacity.

In view of this, The Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca told the public that their riders have been educated on the correct disinfection procedures and will follow minimum hygiene requirements, including the addition of 100 percent cashless transactions.

Consequently, All travelers will be asked to carry their own helmets and face masks, as illustrated in the instructions given at a Palace briefing in early November, while the riders themselves will be subject to frequent COVID-19 testing.

Under the operating rules, the following passengers are to be denied by all motorcycle taxi drivers involved in the pilot: Those under the influence of cannabis, tobacco, and other controlled substances, Persons with disabilities that are unable to comfortably hang on to, Children under the cover of R.A. 10666 or the Motorcycle Care for Children Act of 2015, Women pregnant and

Anyone who does not comply with required health guidelines for motorcycle riders.

Morever, the strategic working group focuses on motorcycle taxis and road safety, while another from Congress focuses on housing, the sustainable tariff matrix and taxation.