Total ban out on single motorcycles as 'passenger vehicle'
Any and all government permits, franchises or Certificates of Public Conveniences issued on single motorcycles as "vehicles for hire" is banned and not allowed by law.
As such, a reminder on all Iloilo towns is out – it is prohibited to directly, or indirectly allow and/or tolerate its operation as "passenger vehicle."
Commonly called in rural areas as "Skylab-for-hire," the Land Transportation Office (LTO) here made official its stance in a letter sent to First District Board Member Macario Napulan.
Napulan for his part made an earlier query following request for franchises in Iloilo towns forwarded to the Committee on Transportation and Communication of which he is chairman.
LTO Regional Director for Western Visayas Gerard Camiña furnished Board Member Napulan of a standing LTO legal opinion.
Simply put, the single motorcycles do not fall within the classification of "vehicles for hire," the LTO stated.
"…classified as conveyances "For Hire" are those only expressly set forth by law, particularly, four-wheeled motor vehicles and three-wheeled motor vehicles which can adequately provide safety measures to the riding public," the LTO wrote. "Nowhere in the existing laws can we classify single motorcycles of "SKYLAB" as public conveyances to operate as "For Hire" since the law recognizes the fact that single motorcycles cannot adequately meet the safety requirements set forth by existing laws to carry passengers and to operate as public utility."
Primary consideration here, the LTO continued, was the safety of the riding public that single-motorcycles cannot guarantee in the event of accidents and other vehicle-related mishaps.
With said LTO position, Board Member Napulan now decided "that any and all legislation emanating from the Sangguniang Bayan and/or Sangguniang Panglungsod which allows and/or regulates the operation of single motorcycles as vehicles for hire be automatically denied as contrary to law without the necessity of referral to the Committee on Transportation."