Laban TNVS head Jun De Leon. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Laban TNVS urged the government on Sunday to review its plan to open more than 10,000 additional slots for transportation network vehicle service (TNVS) units operating in Metro Manila, saying it could worsen traffic congestion in the capital region.
Jun de Leon, president of Laban TNVS, said that, while the move may make it easier for passengers to book rides to their destinations, putting more vehicles on the road would also lead to heavier traffic.
“Imagine, you will add 10,000 new units in Metro Manila. Where will you put that?” De Leon said in a phone interview.
Based on the fare matrix for TNVS, passengers are charged P2 per minute from the time they are picked up until they reach their destinations.
Considering the fare structure and possible increase in travel time due to heavier traffic, having more TNVS units would not necessarily result in lower fares, De Leon said.
“If your travel time before is one hour and costs P120, it would turn into two hours and become P240 because of traffic,” he said.
Growing demand
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on April 6 that starting April 17, it would open an additional 10,300 slots for TNVS units in Metro Manila to “maintain a sufficient number of TNVS to supply the existing demand without affecting the current supply base.”
Under LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2018-005 issued on Feb. 12, 2018, the common supply base for TNVS units was set at 65,000 in Metro Manila, including areas under the Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study Update and Capacity Enhancement Program. These included parts of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal provinces.
Under the same policy, Metro Cebu was allotted 1,500 TNVS units and Pampanga 250 units.
The LTFRB’s December 2022 data, however, showed there were only 8,396 TNVS units with issued certificates of public convenience and provisional authority currently operating in the National Capital Region.
“This is significantly lower than the 65,000 TNVS ceiling, thus necessitating the need to increase the TNVS slots as demand is expected to grow,” the agency said.
“We deemed it vital to add TNVS slots at this time as more people go out for work or for leisure. The board expects demand for transportation services to grow even further, especially at the onset of the dry/warm season where more people will travel,” according to LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III.
Competition
De Leon, meanwhile, said that the LTFRB’s move may also affect other TNVS drivers who were already complaining about fewer passengers.
“During the holiday season, their bookings were continuous but after the peak season, their interval waiting time is around 30 minutes to one hour before they can get a passenger,” he added.