Singaporean national owns 99.99% of Angkas

The Department of Transportation’s Technical Working Group found that a Singaporean national owned 99 percent of the motorcycle ridesharing service Angkas.

It is said to be based on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) data, meaning Angkas violated existing laws and guidelines.

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Based on SEC records, Angeline Xiwen Tham, a Singaporean national, owns 99.996% of Angkas.

Under common carrier law, 60% of public transportation in the country should be owned by Filipinos.

It was also learned that Angkas conducted operations outside the designated pilot run areas.

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Many commuters also complain about Angkas for violating traffic safety rules, such as not wearing helmets and vests by riders and passengers, and allowing them to use unauthorized safety gear.

Also read: Angkas driver accused of molesting passenger

Singaporean national owns 99.99% of Angkas

Its founder and CEO, Angeline Tham, conceptualized Angkas sometime in 2015 after Tham got late for several meetings after spending six hours in traffic. Tham worked for the Philippine office of Grab until it halted its hailing motorcycle service, after which she decided to launch Angkas. DBDOYC Inc. was set up as Angkas’s operator. Angkas’ motorcycle hailing service was launched in 2016.

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The government has challenged the legality of Angkas’ operation. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LFTRB) suspended Angkas’ operation in November 2017 over lack of a business permit and safety concerns regarding the usage of motorcycles in ride-sharing services.

The pilot runs for motorcycle-based TNVS Angkas originally scheduled to end on December 26, 2019. However, the Department of Transportation or DOTr is inclined to extend the pilot run to keep the ride-hailing service operating in the meantime. The extension was made on account of Angkas’ excellent reputation for rider discipline, road safety, and high quality of service.

During the pilot operations, Angkas would be serviced by its 27,000 riders and could not add more motorcycles to its fleet.