MANILA – Motor taxi drivers who don't belong to 3 platforms in the government's trial run will be apprehended, the Department of Transportation said Friday.

Angkas, JoyRide and MoveIt are the only participants in the motorcycle taxi pilot that will run until March, the DOTr said in a statement. Groups such as Sampa and i-Sabay are “not accredited" and their riders will be apprehended, it said.

So-called "colorum" riders will be penalized, said Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board member Antonio Gardiola, Jr who chairs the pilot run.

"We will not have second thoughts to penalize those who defy the authority," Gardiola said.

Two motorcycle drivers under the group called Sampa and 5 Angkas drivers who are not part of the group's master list were caught recently, the DOTr said.

The nature of the penalties imposed was not disclosed.

The unaccredited Angkas drivers were busted after an undercover passenger took a ride to check on safety gear only to find out that the driver was not in the master list, the DOTr said.

“Mystery passengers” will be regularly deployed to verify motorcycle documents and for safety checks, Gardiola said.

-- with a report from Michael Joe Delizo, ABS-CBN News