A motorcycle ride hailing company yesterday secured a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) on a new policy of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) limiting the number of bikers operating in Metro Manila and Cebu.
Acting on a petition filed by Angkas DBDOYC Inc. last month, Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court vice/acting executive Judge Ofelia Calo in her three-page order restrained the LTFRB and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) from implementing the revised guidelines on the motorcycle taxi pilot program, which limits the number of bikers of Angkas to 10,000 in Metro Manila and 3,000 riders for Metro Cebu.
“A 72-hour TRO is hereby issued upon posting of a bond in the amount of P300,000, enjoining the respondents and/or any other person/s acting for or on their behalf, from implementing the revised general guidelines for the pilot implementation of motorcycle taxis insofar as it puts a cap on the number of bikers that Angkas is entitled to and from performing any act that limits and impairs their rights to deal with and continue with their contracts with Angkas,” the order said.
In response, the DOTr said the Technical Working Group (TWG) has yet to receive the official copy of the TRO.
Last year, Angkas obtained from the same court an injunction preventing LTFRB from apprehending Angkas bikers. The decision was later reversed by the Supreme Court.
“We will comment on the merit of said TRO issuance, as soon as the same has been duly received. We are now coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General for the proper disposition of the case,” the DOTr said in a statement.
The TWG is confident that it stands on solid legal ground in its administration of the motorcycle taxi service pilot implementation program.
“We remain steadfast in carrying out our mandate, especially in ensuring that the safety and welfare of the riding public is at stake,” the DOTr said.
Last December, the TWG included additional providers — JoyRide and Move It — in the extended motorcycle taxi pilot run from December 23 up to March 23, 2020.
The extended pilot run provides JoyRide, and Move IT will be operating with an overall allotted cap of 39,000 registered bikers — 10,000 bikers per transport network company (TNC) for Metro Manila and 3,000 bikers per TNC for Metro Cebu.
