Nearly 14,000 Move It motorcycle taxi riders risk losing their jobs following a Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) order to reduce the company’s fleet days before Labor Day.
The directive cuts Move It’s National Capital Region rider cap from 14,000 to 6,836 and orders operations ceased in Cebu and Cagayan De Oro, affecting an additional 6,000 riders.
At a Wednesday press conference, rider-leaders appealed to the government and Motorcycle Taxi Technical Working Group to maintain the status quo.
Move It General Manager Wayne Jacinto questioned the timing amid Metro Manila’s transportation challenges: “Gusto namin makapagbigay ng tapat na hanapbuhay sa bawa’t rider, at ang rider namin gusto magbigay ng magandang serbisyo sa mga mananakay. Alam natin kung gaano kahirap sumakay ng transportasyon na pampubliko; ngayon pa natin itataon na magtatanggal tayo ng riders?”
Rider leader Jerry Cruz added: “Kung kailan darating ang Araw ng Manggagawa, saka pa natin babawasan… tatanggalan mo ng hanapbuhay yung libu-libong riders na considered as manggagawa.”
Jacinto noted the layoffs would impact approximately 50,000 individuals, assuming each affected family has four members.
United Motorcycle Taxi Community representative Andy Delos Santos tearfully shared: “Maraming nag message sa akin mga rider… nangangamba, baka mawalan ng trabaho. Nanahimik kami, nagtatrabaho kami… tapos bigla kaming tatanggalan ng trabaho… 14,000 na rider, 14,000 na pamilya ang pinag-uusapan dito.”
Delos Santos warned riders may protest: “Kaya kung kinakailangan namin lumabas, lalabas kami sa kalsada para marinig kami ng pamahalaan natin.”
Move It will submit a motion for reconsideration to the LTFRB. Jacinto pleaded: “Hiling po namin maging patas po sana, wag sana mawalan ng hanapbuhay ang mga rider—at sana pakinggan kami ng kinauukulan ng sa ganun, wag naman po sana ma-displace sila; kawawa naman po sila.”
