The rise in volume of deliveries from online shops and marketplaces as well as increase in demand for two-wheeled transport have boosted the number of motorcycles plying Metro Manila roads.
Based on data from the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD), the daily volume of motorcycles around Metro Manila increased nearly four times to 1.67 million in 2023 from a mere 433,340 in 2013.
The CPBRD, a think-tank and research arm under the House of Representatives, said the increase in the number of motorcycles is the largest increase among all vehicle types.
The think-tank also said motorcycle taxi service such as Angkas, which started in 2016, and soon followed JoyRide PH and Move It, further boosted the number of two-wheeled vehicles in the metro.
Commonwealth Avenue posted the highest daily traffic at 407,988 in 2023, followed by EDSA’s 407,342 and Quezon Avenue’s 312,486, the research agency said.
The downside, the CPBRD said, is that the increase in motorcycle use in the metro also meant an increase in motorcycle accidents. Incidents went up by 80% to 36,486 in 2023 from 20,272 in 2013, the CPBRD said. Also, the popularity of two-wheel rides meant some of the traditional forms of public transports, such as jeepneys, might be adversely affected.
