From pilot to pretense: MC law still in limbo

It is both puzzling and frustrating that in a country where commuters rely on fast, affordable transport, motorcycle taxis are still treated as an experiment rather than what they already are: a working solution.
Motorcycle taxis have been allowed to operate provisionally since Congress approved a six-month pilot run in June 2019, covering Metro Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro. Initially set to end in December 2019, the pilot was extended to March 2020 for further study. The pandemic caused delays, leading to another extension.

The study officially concluded in May 2024, but Congress extended the pilot indefinitely.
For over five years, the pilot study on motorcycle taxis has dragged on without resolution. Meanwhile, thousands of riders ferry passengers daily across Metro Manila and other urban centers, risking both their lives and livelihoods under a legal twilight zone.

The study was meant to evaluate viability, safety, and economic impact. Those answers are already on the road—delivering passengers, feeding families, and proving every single day that motorcycle taxis are a crucial part of our transport system.

The findings of the study should now serve as the basis for crafting a much-needed law to regulate the industry. While the Motorcycle-for-Hire Act has passed the lower house, it’s still pending in the Senate.
Around 45,000 riders in Metro Manila under this ongoing pilot keep the city moving, yet the law remains stagnant. Thousands more operate in other major cities across the country.

What does it say when, after five years of “testing,” we still treat them as temporary solutions? What’s missing here isn’t data—it’s political will. The longer lawmakers dither, the more we expose riders and commuters to uncertainty. This isn’t just poor governance—it’s an abdication of responsibility.

If MC taxis are not illegal, and yet not legal, we leave riders vulnerable to sudden enforcement whims, passengers without consistent safety protections, and cities without fully integrated transport planning.
As if the law stalemate wasn’t enough, the industry faced yet another headwind after the latest move by regulators to slash the fleet size of one motorcycle taxi operator threatens to boot 14,000 riders off the road. That’s not just 14,000 jobs—it’s 14,000 families pushed to the edge, affecting over 50,000 people, easily. These are not informal gig jobs—they are livelihoods built on years of training, discipline, and service.

Motorcycle taxi riders depend on these platforms to feed their families, just as commuters depend on them to move through a city choked with traffic and overcrowded, unreliable transport. And yet, they remain one memo away from losing everything.

Legalization isn’t a radical proposal. It’s long overdue. Countries like Thailand and Indonesia have long accepted motorcycle taxis as legitimate, regulated public transport. What is holding us back?
And in this instance while we all wait for the legalization of the motorcycle taxi industry, it is incumbent on LTFRB to not only regulate but also clearly coordinate and communicate with all impacted stakeholders involving any circulars and directives that will impact the lives of over 50,000 motorcycle taxi drivers.
If safety truly matters—as it should—then pass a law that enforces training, standards, and accountability. If the issue is fairness, then legislate instead of letting the entire industry dangle in legal uncertainty and subjective interpretations. We should not pretend indecision is neutrality. It is, in fact, injustice.
Motorcycle taxis have already proven they work. It’s time the law caught up with reality.

Atty. Winston Ginez served as the Chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) from 2013-2016