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SA bawat araw na nakabinbin sa Kongreso ang mungkahing legalisasyon ng motorcycle taxi bilang pangunahing public transportation, lalong bumibigat ang daloy ng trapiko, ayon kay Senador Grace Poe kasabay ng panawagan sa mga kapwa mambabatas na madaliin ang pagpapatibay ng panukala.
Ayon kay Poe na dating chairman ng Senate committee on public services, kailangan pabilisin ang pagsasabatas ng panukalang matagal na aniyang nakabinbin sa Kongreso matapos ang pilot study sa Sistema.
“The motorcycle-for-hire bill has been through the long and winding road to passage. Our tank is full,” ayon kay Poe sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Public Services.
“It is now time to start our engines and put our years of work into motion,” wika ni Poe na kasalukuyang chairperson ng Senate Finance Committee.
Para kay Poe, dapat isaalang-alang ang pilot study na isinagawa ng Department of Transportation (DOTr) sa viability ng motorcycle taxis sa proseso ng pagpapatibay ng panukala.
“The pilot study is the strength of this policy. May pagkakataon tayong matugunan ang implementation gaps to improve its regulation once legalized,” aniya.
“But I think we can all agree that we have gathered enough data to craft a regulatory framework that is dynamic and responsive to the needs of the commuting public and the industry stakeholders,” giit pa niya.
Aniya, nagsimula ang pilot study sa nakalipas na limang taon na nagdulot ng nakakalunod na datos kung saan lumalabas na pabor ang mga commuter na isama ang motorsiklo sa public transportation landscape.
“The failure of our transportation system to address mobility challenges led to the unprecedented growth of motorcycles-for-hire,” aniya.
“Traffic, masikip na kalsada, hindi interconnected na transportation systems, mahabang pila at waiting time sa mga terminal, malayong sakayan at kawalan ng pampublikong transportasyon sa ibang lugar at ruta–these situations make riding a motorcycle for transportation a more affordable, faster, convenient and practical option,” paliwanag pa ni Poe.
Dulot ng patuloy na paglawak ng sektor, sinabi ni Poe na: “It is not only a necessity, but an imperative to institutionalize a regulatory framework governing motorcycle-for-hire operations.”
“We need to legalize to reflect the reality on the ground,” ani Poe.
“In doing so, we are also uplifting a segment of our society and transforming them into formalized, professional drivers with income and welfare benefits, whether as permanent or part-time riders,” pahabol ni Poe. (Estong Reyes)
