IF the Cebu City government will adopt the Angkas online application for motorcycle rides, then the operation must be fully regulated and the regulation should start in the barangay level, which will be responsible for the accreditation of drivers.
Ex-officio Councilor Philip Zafra said the Angkas program was a welcome initiative, but the safety of passengers must be the prime consideration.
“That (service of Angkas) is a logical thing to do for now amidst the demand for such kind of transportation brought by the worsening traffic congestion in the city. However, we should regulate them,” he said.
Zafra, president of the Association of Barangay Councils-Cebu City Chapter, proposed that barangays be tasked to do the profiling of the motorcycle drivers.
There are currently around 2,000 motorcycle drivers registered with Angkas.
As soon as the barangay gets the necessary information on the motorcycle driver, Zafra said the driver would then be endorsed to the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).
“The driver would then be endorsed to CCTO to undergo traffic law seminar and orientation before he will be issued an ID,” he said.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña had earlier announced that he would hire Angkas’ management services and adopt their online booking system. As soon as the company can submit their proposal to the city, the mayor said he will consider it as an emergency program.
Osmeña also said that the national government has failed to address the concerns of the transport sector.
With the program, he said, he will respond to the appeal of the affected riding public and regulate what is now considered illegal.
Almost a year after Angkas was launched, it was declared illegal by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Delfin Adolfo of the Two-wheeled Motorized Vehicle Monitoring Coordination and Assistance Unit (TMV-MCAU) said they welcomed the development. He said it would help the drivers especially now that they are paralyzed by the decision of the LTFRB.
“This is better. There will be no overpricing. In this way, we can avoid that because the city government will now be in charge,” he said.
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