The Philippine Competition Commission expressed support to the passage of Senate bills amending the Land Transportation and Traffic Code to allow two-wheeled motorcycle vehicles as a mode of public transport.
The Senate bills are considered timely as they widen the choices for commuters and open opportunities for businesses and innovators.
“We understand that the results of the Motorcycle Taxi Service Inter-AgencyTechnical Working Group’s (TWG) pilot study will be critical to the future of this new market involving MC taxis and online ride-hailing, especially in shaping regulations concerning safety, viability, and accreditation,” the PCC said.
“We acknowledge the legitimacy and objectives of the study, and the need to on-board as wide a set of perspectives as possible. With this in mind, we encourage the TWG to consider the pro-competitive effects of multi-homing in its study,” it added.
The use of motorcycle taxis as a mode of public transportation has given commuters an additional option amid worsening traffic conditions in urban areas. In many rural areas around the country, these habal-habal are widely used as main transport.
Multi-homing policy allows drivers to choose which platform to offer their services, the same way that passengers can choose among different apps.
Multi-homing also prods platforms to continuously innovate and compete to keep both drivers and passengers safe and satisfied.
Preventing multi-homing among drivers may lead to inefficiencies that will ultimately be detrimental to the riding public.
Whether in the experimental phase or once the law on motorcycles will be passed, competition must be recognized as an essential element in stakeholders’ operations that bear impact on the riding public.
