The authorities are serious in their campaign against illegal or colorum public utility vehicles (PUV). Just follow i-ACT (Inter-Agency for Traffic) on their official social media page and you’ll get the picture.
One area where illegal or colorum PUVs are frequently caught is EDSA. The stretch of EDSA is MMDA’s turf. More specifically, it’s Col. Bong Nebrija’s turf. It is his team’s job to keep this 48-kilometer stretch (northbound and southbound) in order and free from colorum PUVs, which includes illegal habal-habal motorcycles.
A habal-habal is actually a motorcycle-for-hire but is not regulated by the government, therefore illegal. They usually charge customers with exorbitant fares, and more often than not, may not even possess a valid driver’s license. Many are non-professional drivers who have no actual training on how to handle passengers, nor are they required by law to keep their vehicles maintained.
To curb the proliferation of these illegal habal-habals, the EDSA boss has again reminded commuters not to patronize such transportation, and has shared a short clip showing a part of what seems to be a motorcycle rider training being conducted by one of the legal motorcycle taxi operators.
In the video, we are given a glimpse of indoor training being conducted by partner riders of MoveIt.
“Stop patronizing Habal Habal!” said Nebrija.
He added that legitimate motorcycle taxi riders underwent assessment and training as a prerequisite before being allowed to book passengers. Additionally, they also passed all the requirements set by the government.
“Take only legit ride hailing motorcycle taxis like Angkas, Joyride and Move-it, they undergo training and [are] required to pass all the technical inspections of the government,” added Nebrija.
Lying about a habal-habal can land you jail time
For those who patronize habal-habal riders and even try to come up with an alibi (posing as husband and wife, etc.) to fool the authorities, be warned. Doing so could be considered as form of Obstruction of Justice and could mean jail time for the passenger.
For example, in a previous story (read here), a habal-habal passenger tried to intervene on behalf of the rider by telling the authorities that they are related. After further questioning, it was revealed that they are in fact not related, and the rider charged her PhP 100.00 for the short trip.
The EDSA boss warned that if this happens again, they will be forced to call the police for assistance and the passenger charged with Obstruction of Justice, which could mean 4-6 years jail time.
