In a bid to enhance safety for motorcycle taxi riders, several firms are advocating for the introduction of facial verification for passengers and SOS buttons within their apps. This initiative emerges following the tragic stabbing of a rider in Caloocan City.
Proposed Safety Measures in Response to Rising Violence
This meeting is related to the increasing number of offenses or crimes committed against our riders, we talked about the measures that we can actively take so that we can avoid these incidents.
Carlo Castro, Angkas Public Affairs Officer
- Facial verification for passengers to confirm identity.
- SOS buttons for riders to alert authorities during emergencies.
During a consultation with 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, Angkas representative Carlo Castro emphasized the necessity of these measures to protect riders. If implemented, the facial verification would require commuters to verify their identity before taking a ride.
The SOS button would enable riders to contact emergency services directly through the app, allowing for immediate assistance in dangerous situations.
Gutierrez plans to enlist the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to facilitate these changes, ensuring that only valid IDs are used in the apps.
While acknowledging potential data privacy concerns, Gutierrez argued that the need for safety outweighs these issues, and that the current data privacy law governs the handling of personal information within the motorcycle taxi sector.
The push for enhanced safety measures comes in the wake of a recent incident where a 46-year-old rider was fatally stabbed by a passenger in Caloocan City. The assailant reportedly fled on the victim's motorcycle.
In light of these violent occurrences, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has pledged to collaborate with ride-hailing companies to implement additional safeguards for riders and passengers alike.