Motorcycle taxi riders urge LTFRB not to drop riders due to over-boarding

Some motorcycle taxi rider groups have staged a protest in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office on Monday, urging the agency not to drop riders over issues of "overboarding" and "ghost riders."

In a “24 Oras” report by Jonathan Andal, overboarding refers to a situation where the number of riders on a ride-hailing application or platform exceeds the limit set by the government.

According to Jayson Luna, co-convenor of the Motorcycle Riders Association (METRO), there is a cap of only 15,000 riders per platform, and as of now, the number of active riders on some platforms appears to have already exceeded that limit.

“Ito po ‘yung mga kasamahan namin na hindi alam na napaloob doon sa iba't ibang platform na platform provider. Hindi namin alam kung kami kasama roon sa labis na itinalaga ng gobyerno,” Luna said.

(These are our fellow riders who didn't know they were included in those different platform providers. We don't know if we are among those in excess of the limit set by the government.)

He added that they fear riders exceeding the LTFRB-set limit might be banned from operating.

Meanwhile, the riders' group KAGULONG argued that overboarding is not the riders’ fault, as it was the ride-hailing apps that accepted their applications to become MC taxi riders.

“Ang usapan with the LTFRB ay walang mawawalan ng trabaho, walang maiiwang rider… ‘Yung issue ng overboarding, hindi kasalanan ng rider ‘yan… Kaya hindi dapat ang rider ang mag-suffer dun sa nangyayaring mga kalokohan na ‘yan,” KAGULONG Secretary General Don Pangan said.

(The understanding with the LTFRB was that no one would lose their job, and no rider would be left behind... The issue of overboarding is not the riders' fault... So the riders should not suffer from the irregularities taking place.)

Following the rally, Pangan and Luna were called inside the LTFRB office, where they spoke with the agency's executive director.

In a text message, LTFRB Acting Chairman Greg Pua stated he was in Tacloban at the time.

According to Luna, the LTFRB official assured them that no MC rider would lose their job once the institutionalization process for MC taxi riders moves forward.

At present, riders are awaiting the passage of the law that will formally recognize MC taxis as public utility vehicles.

GMA News is trying to obtain a statement from the LTFRB regarding the matter and will publish it once available. –Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/NB, GMA News