And the plot thickens

The Inter-Agency Technical Working Group (TWG) on Motorcycle Taxis has slammed transport network company Angkas for its "two-faced" position on the government's pilot run on the use of motorcycles as taxis.

This is after Angkas filed a petition before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 223 asking for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the imposition of a cap on the number of participating riders in the pilot run of the program, and the apprehension of "excess riders" as stated in Section 10 of the pilot program's revised guidelines.

In the same petition dated Jan. 6, 2020, Angkas also asked the court to issue an order to exclude two other motorcycle ride-hailing service providers WeMove Things/JoyRide and Move It in the pilot program.

It will also be recalled that in a press conference on Wednesday, Angkas, through George Royeca, the group's chief rider advocate, apologized for the group's previous actions and assured the DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that it will now be cooperating to assure the success of the pilot program.

Angkas had also previously assured the DOTr and the Technical Working Group of the pilot program, that it would no longer be objecting to Section 10 of the revised guidelines and is open to competition from other transport groups joining the pilot run.

“Dito natin makikita na doble kara ang Angkas. Noong isang araw, nag-sorry sila sa harap ng media. Nangako na susundin nila ang guidelines at makikipag-usap sa gobyerno. Ngayon, nagpunta sila sa korte para i-challenge ang gobyerno. Kasama sa petisyon nila na tanggalin sa pilot study ang Joyride at Move It (This is where we see Angkas' being two-faced. Just the other day, they held a presscon and said sorry. They also promised that they will begin to follow the guidelines and will have discussions with the government. Now, they went to court to challenge the government in a petition. Their petition also included the removal of the other players JoyRide and Move It from the pilot study), ”said a dismayed DOTr Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddes Hope Libiran.

Libiran added that the petition for a TRO that was filed by Angkas also shows that Angkas is "telling a lie" and is not ready to release its monopolistic hold on the motorcycle ride-hailing service sector.

“They [Angkas] want the market for themselves. Isn't it a contradiction to their previous statement that they have no problems with the market competition? So what is it, just lies?” Libiran added in Filipino.

Just a few days ago, a Mandaluyong Court on, Jan. 6, 2020, issued a 72-hour temporary restraining order in favor of Angkas which temporarily barred the DOTr and the LTFRB from implementing Section 10 of the revised guidelines which imposed a rider cap of 30,000 for Metro Manila and 9,000 in Metro Cebu.

Angkas also previously lodged a case and was granted a TRO by a Mandaluyong City regional trial court in 2018. The lower court's decision was however reversed by the Supreme Court.