As traffic gets worse, motorcycles gain popularity among Pinoy automobile buyers in 2019—report

As motorcycle taxis become more popular among Filipino commuters, automobile buyers are also increasingly looking at motorcycles as a personal ride.

According to a report by Carousell, a classifieds marketplace based in Singapore, Filipinos' searches for motorcycle brands in their platform rose in 2019.

Carousell did not release the numbers, but listed Yamaha, Vespa, Ducati, Honda, and Harley-Davidson as the top motorcycle brands last year.

"The growing demand for motorcycles as the vehicle of choice is brought by the worsening traffic in the Metro and the need to go to various destinations without the hassle of daily commute," the report read.

The 2019 Traffic Index of location technology company TomTom ranked Manila as the second most traffic-congested city among 416 cities across seven countries. 

To avoid getting stuck on the road, many Filipinos have opted to use motorcycle taxis to get to school or work.

Last year, the Department of Transportation approved pilot operations of popular ride-hailing app Angkas and other motorcycle taxis.

However, many Filipino vehicle buyers are still looking at cars as their mode of transportation.

Japanese car brands Toyota, Honda, and Mitsubishi are the top three most-searched in the Carousell marketplace, while German luxury cars BMW and Mercedes-Benz complete the top five. —MGP, GMA News