By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has imposed a ₱555.7-million penalty on motorcycle taxi operator Move It PH for exceeding its government-authorized rider allocation by 55,575.
LTFRB Chairman Greg Pua said the company was found administratively liable for maintaining 73,321 active riders as of May, against its authorized allocation of only 17,746 across Metro Manila, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.
The board imposed a ₱10,000 fine for every excess rider-partner, citing violations of the Motorcycle Taxi Pilot Program’s regulations.
The LTFRB also flagged Move It for disregarding a one-year moratorium on onboarding new riders.
Move It argued that its internal classification distinguished between full-time and part-time, as well as online and offline riders. However, the board rejected the explanation, maintaining that its authorized rider cap applied regardless of the company’s internal classifications.
The LTFRB warned that failure to pay the penalty could result in the suspension of Move It’s participation in the pilot program and possible revocation of its accreditation.
The board said the penalty was proportionate to the violation and necessary to enforce regulatory compliance.
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