A prominent motorcycle taxi riders group welcomed on Thursday the government’s decision to open provisional authority registrations, calling it a major milestone in formalizing the industry after nearly a decade of operating under pilot implementations.

The Motorcycle Taxi Riders Organization (METRO) expressed support for the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) opening of the Provisional Authority to Operate registration.

The mechanism aims to integrate long-serving riders into the country’s official public transportation framework.

“We fought for a long time to have motorcycle taxis recognized as a legitimate part of public transportation. Now, the government is registering the riders who helped build this industry,” METRO co-convenor Jason Luna said.

The LTFRB announced it resumed accepting letters of intent for Motorcycle Taxi Platform Providers on 5 August, along with applications for provisional authority.

LTFRB chairperson Vigor Mendoza II said authorizations will align with rider caps designated by the government’s technical working group.

Luna cited that a verified registration system will eliminate “ghost riders” and overboarding issues recently exposed during financial assistance distributions, protecting legitimate earnings and improving commuter safety.

In a separate development Thursday, Malacañang assured transport groups that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is addressing rising fuel costs through improvements to the government’s fuel subsidy program.

Addressing concerns raised by transport group MANIBELA regarding the limited number of participating gas stations, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the administration is expanding accredited stations while increasing the fuel subsidy from P10 to P12 per liter.