Quick Read
- The LTFRB fined Move It ₱555.75 million for 55,575 riders above its authorized allocation of 17,746, and the decision is not final.
- The board rejected Move It’s classification of riders by status and online hours, so under the decision the Move It rider cap counts every rider on the platform.
- Riders above the limit carry the first cost, because a ₱10,000 per-rider fine leaves Move It choosing between paying, contesting or cutting its roster.
- Angkas and Joyride could face the same headcount test, and a riders’ group has alleged that both exceed their own allocations.
- A pending motion for reconsideration keeps the penalty open, but the board’s reasoning on counting riders is now in a written decision.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) fined Move It ₱555.75 million for keeping 73,321 active riders as of May against an authorized allocation of 17,746, and the decision rejects the idea that part-time or offline riders sit outside the Move It rider cap. The penalty is not final because Move It has filed a motion for reconsideration. The counting rule behind it, though, is now in writing, and every platform in the motorcycle taxi pilot program operates under its own allocation.
The Fine Is Counted Per Rider, Not Per Peso of Revenue
The penalty is simple arithmetic. The board counted 55,575 riders above the 17,746 allocation across Metro Manila, Cebu City and Cagayan de Oro and set the penalty at ₱10,000 for each one, which comes to ₱555.75 million.
A flat per-rider fine tied to the Move It rider cap behaves differently from a percentage of revenue. It scales with how many riders a platform keeps on its books, whether or not they are online at a given moment.
The LTFRB also found that Move It disregarded a one-year temporary moratorium on onboarding new riders, a separate finding from the cap breach. The board warned that failure to pay could lead to suspension of Move It’s authority to participate in the program and revocation of its accreditation.
The Move It Rider Cap Now Counts Every Onboarded Rider
Move It argued that it classified riders by full-time or part-time status, online activity and daily working hours. The LTFRB rejected that. It held that the approved allocation covers the total number of rider-partners on the platform, whatever their working arrangements. Accepting Move It’s reading, the board said, would let any regulated entity redefine its obligations through its own operating policies.
Move It general manager Wayne Jacinto has said the company believes, along with the other platforms, that the cap is the limit on riders online at the same time. Move It also argued that rider allocation should account for the flexible nature of gig work, since riders go online and offline depending on their schedules.
The two readings produce very different numbers. A platform with a large pool of occasional riders looks small on a concurrent-online count and large on a headcount. The LTFRB chose headcount, and the decision treats the Move It rider cap as a ceiling on every onboarded rider-partner.
Riders Above the Cap Carry the First Cost
The fine is addressed to the platform, but any loss of access lands on riders. Move It can pay, win reconsideration, or bring its roster down toward 17,746. Only the last option changes who is on the road. The transport group Laban TNVS said several riders were reportedly deactivated over the rider cap, and argued that removing riders should not be the immediate fix. The riders’ group Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong warned that the size of the fine could push the company to shut down, which would affect about 73,000 riders who earn through the platform.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said the Department of Labor and Employment is organizing riders into an association and encouraging other operators to absorb those who may be displaced. That arrangement only works if other platforms have room under their own allocations, which ties the fix to the rivals’ own headcounts.
Rival Platforms Could Face the Same Headcount Test
Angkas and Joyride operate in the same pilot program under their own allocations, and the Move It rider cap ruling shows how the board counts riders against an allocation. The riders’ group Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong alleged, citing reports it had received, that Joyride has exceeded its cap by 10,000 riders and Angkas by 50,000. The allegation is the group’s and stands apart from the decision against Move It.
If the board applies the all-rider count to the other platforms, the test it used on Move It is the test they face. If Jacinto is right that the other platforms share Move It’s concurrent-online reading, the board’s written position runs against all three.
The Penalty Can Still Change Before the Rule Is Tested
The LTFRB said on November 3 that the Move It rider cap decision is not final because a motion for reconsideration is pending, and it declined to give more detail while legal proceedings continue. Move It said it respects the board’s authority and is working through the proper process.
There is precedent for a pause. In April 2025 the LTFRB ordered Move It to cut its rider fleet to 6,836. That order was put on hold while Move It’s motion for reconsideration was pending. The amount, the timing of any enforcement and the suspension threat remain open for the same reason. The decision has already put the board’s reasoning on how riders are counted in writing.
The ₱555.75 million is aimed at one platform, but the allocations it enforces cover three. If the counting rule holds, onboarding becomes a decision made against a fixed number, and a platform past that number either cuts riders or pays a fine for each one it keeps.
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