LTO-7 addresses ‘habal-habal’ drivers’ issues

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Land Transportation Office (LTO-7) in Central Visayas met with about 30 community leaders of the different ‘habal-habal’ organizations in Cebu City at the LTO-7 Malasakit Service Center on October 2 to discuss and address the issues on registration and licensing.

LTO-7 regional director Victor Emmanuel Caindec said that these motorcycle taxi drivers, locally known as habal-habal drivers need help to integrate their services on the government-recognized ride-hailing and delivery platforms.

Caindec promised to help all the community leaders in the City including its members in getting their driver's licenses and register their motorcycle units. He also wanted to help all them to apply on the existing and government-recognized ride-hailing and delivery platforms to help with their daily income.

"We have a solution to the existing problems of our habal-habal drivers in the City and that is to help them get their license and register their motorcycle units.”  These motorcycle taxi has become a major transportation factor in Cebu due to the undeniable traffic in the Metro.

A road safety education campaign was also conducted to inform the community leaders and their members on the dos and don'ts of a driver on the roads.  Caindec revealed that in the last 10 years, new motorcycles initially registered to over 1.2 million in Central Visayas.

"Our public transport predicament has given rise to a demand for personal mobility. Consequently, over 68 percent of registered motor vehicles in the region are motorcycles," Caindec bared.

LTO 7 has always been a partner of the motorcycle riding community, he said and that in 2019 the first LTO 7 motorcycle unity ride was conducted where over 1,500 motorcycle riders from the different motorcycle clubs and groups joined.