Davao City Councilor Conrado Baluran said on Thursday the operation of motor taxis could help prevent crimes in Davao City as this will have a list of legitimate drivers who will be allowed to pick up passengers.
The City Council approved on Tuesday a resolution endorsing E Ran Online Delivery Emergency Services and SAKAY Motorcycle Hailing Application and Delivery Services for their application to operate a homegrown motorcycle riding-hailing app in the city.
“It’s a resolution supporting the applications of the companies that are seeking favorable endorsement from the City Council so that their application for motorcycle taxis may be approved by the Department of Transportation (DoTr). Ang ilahang gipangayo sa atoa favorable endorsement ug ato silang gitagaan,” Baluran, chair of the committee on transportation and communication, told Edge Davao.
According to the report of Baluran’s commitee, the proponents emphasized that Davao City, being a metro city like Manila and Cebu, is growing rapidly in terms of urbanization and economic growth.
“This kind of progress comes with increased demand for transportation mobility thru innovative ways such as Online-Enabled Transportation Service (OETS), a digital-based technology application that provides services by connecting available registered motor vehicles with registered customers who hails ride. A faster, safer and hassle-free kind of conveyance,” it said.
It can be recalled that on July 12, 2021, the 19th City Council has approved City Ordinance No. 0584-21 Series of 2021 otherwise known as ‘’An Ordinance Allowing the Operation of Motorcycle taxis in Davao City.”
Section 2 of the said ordinance, cited in its Declaration of Policy, the provision of Section 16 and Subparagraph (a) of Section 17 respectively of our Local Government Code (LGC) which provides that every Local Government Unit (LGU) shall exercise the powers expressly and impliedly granted which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare of its people.
“Likewise, other powers that are necessary, appropriate, or incidental to efficient and effective provision of the basic services and facilities being enumerated under the said Code,” it said.
Baluran is hopeful that DoTr will include Davao City in this kind of service as this will help prevent crimes in the city.
He said the said service will cater to those working during graveyard shifts. To protect the passengers, he said it is being mulled to bank all motorcycle drivers tapped for this service and list all their names as legitimate drivers and who are only allowed to pick passengers.
“Mura ni ug mag order ta sa foodpanda through apps. Ug ang target ani nga clients or passengers kanang nanarabho ug graveyard shift ug wala na kaayo mga sakyanan available. Para protected pud ang mga pasengers naa ta’y plano na-i -banking tanan ang drivers ug naa’y list of their names na legitimate sila lang maka-pick-up ug passengers. Isa pud ni para malikayan tung nahitabo na crime incident sa Calinan,” Baluran said.
Currently, major motor taxi players operating in the Philippines are Angkas, Joyride, and Move It.
“Hoping maapil ang Davao City. Ang DoTr nag dry run sa Manila ug Cebu. So karon naa ta’y applicants ug atong gisuportahan,” Baluran said.
Meanwhile, the regional office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB 11), informed that due to the increasing demand for transportation services, their national office prompted to issue Board Resolution No. 022, series of 2023, that sought to increase the number of transportation network vehicle services (TNVS) units operating or to operate nationwide. For Davao City alone, 200 slots were allocated.
All applicants wanting to engage business in motorcycle taxis in Davao City, as a requirement per advised by the LTFRB 11, one must seek first an endorsement from the City Council favorably endorsing the said company or individual to the LTFRB 11 to be included in their request to the DoTr and LTO to be given a pilot testing provisional operation permit and be included in the Motorcycle Taxi Pilot Study Program of the government in the Davao Region.
