Leading motorcycle ride-hailing platform Angkas announced recently that starting this Monday, April 20, it is reducing the commission remitted by its riders from 20 percent to 18 percent to help ease the burden of drivers amid soaring fuel costs.
Aside from lowering the shared commissions, Angkas also called for a “whole-of-nation approach” to address the country’s worsening transportation challenges triggered by the Middle East war.
Angkas president and chief-executive-officer George Royeca disclosed that the decision to lower the standard commission rate was made following consultations with concerned government officials that include FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list representative and chair of the House transport committee Brian Poe Llamanzares.
According to Royeca, “Angkas will also maintain its tiered incentive system, allowing commissions to drop to 0 percent for riders who rely on the platform as their primary source of income.”
When asked if his company, which he co-founded, was the first to initiate such a move to benefit the transport network vehicle (TNVS) drivers, he replied: “So far, I am the first calling for a press conference about this.”
Describing the move as a “concrete proof” of Angkas’ willingness to share the burden amid economic pressures, Royeca enthused that they “(are) taking the lead in making difficult adjustments because (. . .) riders are at the frontline of th(e) crisis.”
“Our commission reduction is primarily aimed at striking a balance between driver welfare and commuter affordability, ensuring service reliability despite persistent cost pressures,” he pointed out while stressing that rising fuel prices and operating costs demand coordinated action across government, industry and commuters.
“This is not a problem any single sector can solve alone. We need a whole-of-nation approach to protect livelihoods while keeping transport accessible,” he cited.
Aside from the commission cut, Royeca has likewise rolled out additional support measures to his drivers, including fuel and food vouchers and discounts at partner gas stations.
He also urged the government to explore targeted fuel subsidies for public utility vehicles (PUVs) even as he noted that app-based tracking systems could make such programs viable and transparent.
In ending, Royeca raised concerns over the prevalence of illegal or ‘colorum’ transport services and alleged violations of biker caps by competing platforms while urging government regulators to investigate reports of operators exceeding authorized limits. “Such practices undermine both driver incomes and commuter safety. I am confident, however, that other similar motorcycle taxi providers would follow suit in our support for our riders and help ease the burden of earning to provide for their families,” he concluded.