Laban TNVS head Jun de Leon. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — A group representing workers of transport network vehicle services (TNVS) slammed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Friday for going back and forth on its pronouncements about the plan to open 100,000 new TNVS slots.
Laban TNVS President Jun de Leon called out the “urong-sulong” or back-and-forth statements of LTFRB, which, he said, “only shows the agency’s inconsistencies in terms [of] implementing programs that will truly benefit the public transportation sector in general.”
His statement came after LTFRB cleared up on Thursday that the additional slots are available to all interested transport network companies (TNCs), citing a transport group that had questioned the exclusivity of the slot to one TNC.
READ: LTFRB: New 100,000 TNVS slots are for motorcycles, 4-wheeled vehicles
“We are still wondering why the LTFRB seems to put the blame on us [for] issuing statements that the 100,000 new slots will be given solely to Grab Philippines, well in fact, the said information primarily [came] from them,” de Leon said.
The clarification made by the LTFRB, according to De Leon, went against its earlier announcement that the agency had given the go-ahead for 100,000 more vehicles to be registered as TNVS under Grab Philippines.
He also quoted LTFRB chair Teofilo Guadiz III saying that the 100,000 TNVS slots may increase further as he noted that this would generate 500,000 additional jobs for Filipinos.
READ: LTFRB okays additional 100,000 Grab vehicles
“Once and for all, we challenge the LTFRB to be consistent enough, stop playing words and be more compassionate instead to the welfare and best interests of all the stakeholders of the public transportation sector in the country,” de Leon said.
He then called on the LTFRB to discuss this “very crucial issue” with their group.
De Leon said the additional traffic woes that the move might bring about will burden the existing TNVS franchise holders, the riding public, and motorists. — Mae Anne F. Bilolo, INQUIRER.net intern