If anything, the “show of force” mustered by motorcycle-for-hire (habal-habal) and Angkas member drivers in Cebu City to protest the Supreme Court ruling that issued a temporary restraining order on their operations should force a public debate on the case that would reach and be heeded by our country’s lawmakers.
Notwithstanding Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s rice aid assistance to city-based drivers next month, the SC ruling will take a toll on these drivers who have little to no recourse for a viable alternative livelihood.
Aside from the mayor and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who sided with the drivers for being the only means of transport for people in the hinterland barangays going to school or work down in the urban centers there are no other vocal supporters among local governments in Cebu or elsewhere in the country.
That is especially true in Metro Manila which is dominated by drivers of tricycles and jeepneys who break every possible traffic law in the book just to earn a living.
In those parts where the country’s political power center resides, the voices of habal-habal drivers — even those operating under Angkas — can scarcely be heard above the din of other transport groups who are protesting the government’s mass modernization transport program.
Even with the slow rollout of modernized jeepneys that thankfully are required to abide by the loading and unloading stops requirement, the national government specifically the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had yet to provide a viable, working transport option for people living in the mountain barangays.
Blame it on the government’s failure to build a road and bridge network that would make it accessible for these mountain barangay residents to reach the urban or town proper.
But that solution won’t be achieved overnight and the habal-habal driver, for better or worse, is the only available option for mountain barangay residents to go to school, earn a living or simply enjoy the sights and sounds that urban and town centers can offer.
We hope that these and other factors would be deliberated on and considered by Congress and that it would take heed of the plight not only of these drivers but their constituents in the mountain barangays who should not be deprived of their means of transport.
At the same time, these habal-habal drivers and Angkas owners should do more to prove themselves trustworthy and capable of safely transporting their passengers to their intended destinations which would be the basis for Congress to issue a franchise to them.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
