MOTORCYCLE taxis in Iloilo City are becoming increasingly indispensable for commuters and workers. As reported by this paper yesterday, riders zip through congested roads offering fast and affordable travel options for ordinary Ilonggos. And yet, despite their rising popularity and undeniable usefulness, these riders exist in a legal no-man’s-land — criminalized as “colorum” yet silently tolerated, even relied upon.
When pressed, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 is quick to call these operations illegal. There is no law and authority granting them a franchise, it declares.
On the other hand, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 offers a masterclass in buck-passing, saying, it has no enforcement authority over two-wheelers. In short: Not their problem.
This would be almost comical if it weren’t dangerous. The lack of regulation puts both riders and passengers at risk — without safety checks, accountability, or standards. And after a disturbing incident involving an attempted rape by a so-called rider in Oton, Iloilo the cost of this policy paralysis is no longer theoretical. Lives and livelihoods are on the line.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila and Cebu continue their pilot runs for motorcycle taxi regulation under government-sanctioned platforms. Iloilo? Still stuck waiting on the sidelines, ignored by both policy and priority. Technical working groups have submitted findings to Congress, but no law has emerged. The agencies claim their hands are tied.
But if no one claims jurisdiction, who is protecting the riding public? Who ensures basic safety? Who is responsible?
What we’re seeing is not a failure of transportation — it’s a failure of governance.
The national government cannot keep dodging the issue. If the LTFRB says it lacks authority, then the Department of Transportation must step in. If the LTO insists it cannot regulate because there’s no enabling law, then Congress must act now. The country cannot continue punishing riders for the state’s inaction. Motorcycle taxis are not the problem; the absence of political will is.
Ilonggos, and Filipinos in general, deserve better than regulatory limbo. They deserve leaders who can ride straight into the issue and steer toward real solutions. Not another round of finger-pointing while the engines keep running, unlicensed and unprotected.
