MMDA: ‘Not for Hire’ signage not required on private vehicles

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) clarified on Tuesday that private vehicles are not required to display “Not for Hire” signage.

The clarification came after a video went viral showing an MMDA traffic enforcer confronting a driver whose pickup truck lacked the sign.

READ: Over 20,000 unregistered motor vehicles caught by LTO in June

“Private vehicles used for transporting the owner or their goods for personal purposes are not prohibited. However, if the vehicle is being rented out or used for passenger transport, it requires a franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB),” the MMDA’s Facebook post reads.

The MMDA also said vehicles operating without a franchise may be considered “colorum” and that their drivers could face corresponding penalties under the LTFRB’s Metro Manila Traffic Code, Joint Administrative Order, and the regulations of the Land Transportation Office.

Earlier, MMDA Chair Don Artes admitted that the traffic enforcer in the viral video was mistaken in flagging the driver for the absence of “Not for Hire” sign on a private vehicle.

Artes clarified that the driver’s violation was not the absence of signage, but rather the fact the vehicle was operating as a “colorum” or unauthorized public transport unit./mcm