House passes bill aiming to legalize motorcycles as public mode of transport on second reading

(Eagle News) — The House of Representatives on Wednesday, Jan. 30, passed on second reading a bill that aims to legalize motorcycles as public utility vehicles.

House Bill 8959 aims to amend Section 7(c) of the Land Transportation and Traffic Code that specifies that private motorcycles “shall not be used for hire under any circumstances, and shall not be used to solicit, accept or be used to transport passengers or freight for pay.”

The bill has a counterpart in the Senate, filed by Senator Ralph Recto.

Under Senate Bill 2173, a new section is added to the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, and the operation of “public utility motorcycles,” with its safety features, is placed under the jurisdiction of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Department of Transportation.

The filing of the measures in the House of Representatives and the Senate came after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on a lower court’s decision preventing the LTFRB and the DOTr from interfering in the operations of motorcyle ride-hailing app Angkas.

Apart from raising the ban on the use of motorcycles as PUVs as specified in Section 7(c) of the Land Transportation and Traffic Code to argue against the legalization of such vehicles as a mode of public transport, transportation authorities raised safety concerns.