Senatorial candidate Guillermo Eleazar on Monday vowed to push for the enactment of a law allowing motorcycles to become a legitimate mode of public transport.
In a statement, Eleazar said motorcycle taxi-hailing services have been proven to be essential, especially during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic when the government suspended the operations of public transport.
Eleazar, a retired police general, said he witnessed this during his stint as the commander of the Joint Task Force Covid Shield, the law enforcement arm of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) which enforces all pandemic-related policies in the country.
He added that during the onset of the pandemic, riders of motorcycle taxi-hailing firms acted as front-liners since they were relied upon by the public to transport authorized persons outside of residence (APORs) such as healthcare workers from their houses to the hospitals and vice versa.
They were also tapped to deliver medicines, food, and other necessary items to and from different households.
“Naiba ang landscape ng transportation sa Metro Manila at sa Pilipinas dahil sa inyo. Dahil sa inyong ipinakita, hindi ko rin kayo iiwan. Kaya po ang ating isusulong kung inyong pagtiwalaan ay talagang maipasa na itong batas na magbibigay sa inyo ng karapatan na talagang makatulong sa ating bayan (The transportation landscape in Metro Manila and the Philippines changed because of you. Because of your efficient and heartfelt service, if I get elected with your help, I will enact laws that will allow you to further help the country),” he added.
Two bills — House Bill 10571 and Senate Bill 1341 — which seek to legalize the operations of motorcycle taxi services have yet to be passed by lawmakers.
Currently, Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code limits public conveyances only to four-wheeled vehicles.
Eleazar added that he would push for the provision of benefits for the drivers including permanent disability assistance in case they would be involved in an accident while at work and are rendered immobile permanently. (PNA)
