The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has confirmed that it penalized the operator of motorcycle taxi platform Move It PH with over ₱555 million for exceeding its government-mandated rider allocation.
According to LTFRB documents, Move It PH registered a total of 73,321 riders on its online platform, far exceeding its authorized limit of 17,746 riders across Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Cagayan de Oro City. This resulted in an excess of 55,575 riders—more than triple the permitted cap.
The investigation began on December 11, 2024, when the LTFRB issued a show-cause order (SCO) regarding the overboarding reports. After an initial downsizing order, the operator filed a motion for reconsideration and was temporarily allowed to keep its 17,746 allocation.
A second SCO was issued in May, prompting the company to argue that inactive or suspended accounts should be excluded from compliance counts. The operator also maintained that authorized allocation should apply only to simultaneous, active riders rather than total registered accounts, adding that a larger pool is operationally necessary to handle peak passenger demand.
In its October 9 decision, the LTFRB rejected these arguments. Applying a fine of ₱10,000 for each of the 55,575 excess riders, the total penalty reached ₱555,750,000.
In a statement released on Monday, November 3, the LTFRB clarified that the ruling is not yet final due to a pending motion for reconsideration filed by the provider.
The agency emphasized that its primary concern is protecting the affected riders who trusted the platform.
“What the agency is focused on is addressing the plight of the thousands of overboarded riders who invested their own resources to earn a decent living— and whose only fault was that they acted in good faith and trusted that they were allowed to operate under the existing rules and regulations,” the statement read.
“The LTFRB is currently crafting measures in dealing with this sensitive issue in relation to the affected riders, while ensuring that the online boarding system of ride-hailing services is strictly complying with the government’s regulations.”
“The LTFRB assures the public of continuously working for the welfare and interest of not only of the millions of Filipino commuters but also of those in the public transport and service sector,” it added.