Filipino-owned motorcycle hailing taxi app JoyRide has forged a partnership with Motortaxi Cooperative (Motax), the only registered motorcycle taxi cooperative, which aims to legalize habal-habal operations not only in Cebu but in the different parts of the country.
Currently, at least 4,488 drivers have registered to join JoyRide to operate in Metro Cebu. Out of the registered drivers in Cebu, 2,600 of the registered bikers came from Motax.
Jun Alcover, chairman of Motax said the pilot testing of JoyRide in Cebu is a “big opportunity” to help the habal-habal drivers in the city in providing them livelihood and the riding public.
“Motax was approved by the Cooperative Development Authority last January, after the approval we were able to connect with JoyRide kasi kailangan nila ng riders considering they are new and were given very limited time to recruit,” he said.
“The role of Motax is to provide JoyRide the riders they need. As of now, we have more or less 3,000 members and we keep on expanding,” Alcover said.
Alcover, who was also a former Cebu councilor said there is a need to regulate the growing numbers of motorcycle taxis especially in urban areas like Cebu, Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro and even in Davao City.
“This is not yet a law, this is a sort of implementing rules that all habal-habal within the period of pilot testing, you have to be a member at least nung sa tatlong TNVS, so we also need JoyRide kasi kung hindi ka member baka hulihin ka, its important to have a connection while waiting for the passage of the law,” he said.
The former lawmaker also encouraged the members of Motax cooperative and habal-habal drivers in Cebu to join motorcycle hailing firm JoyRide.
“When I was in Congress nakita ko yung plight ng habal habal. While the public accepted it as their mode of transportation, there is no law that legalizes them, so to those who wanted to pass the law, I encourage you to join JoyRide” he said.
“I’m very excited kung saan papunta lahat ng ito. Nagooperate ng habal-habal for almost 30 years, I’m very happy na nabigyan na talaga ng pansin at ng solusyon. I hope na maapprove at legalize na talaga ito.” he added.
“Naging livelihood na ‘to ng mga habal habal drivers pero at the same time hinahabol sila ng mga law enforcers– with that there are prone to corruption. Huhulin ka pero hihingan ka so I pity the habal-habal drivers so let us just wait for the approval of the bill in the Congress,” Alcover said.
Joyride vice president for corporate affairs Noli Eala also assured Cebuanos that JoyRide will be the safest, cheapest and most convenient way of transportation especially in the sprawling city of Cebu.
“Aside from providing convenient and faster transportation to commuter, this is a great opportunity for habal habal drivers to have legitimate operations and we would like to invite them na mag training sa JoyRide,” Eala said.
The Technical Working Group of the Land Transportation and Regulatory Franchise Board’s (LTFRB) said the Cebu pilot testing will end on March 23.