Taxi groups get 10 days to air side vs Uber

If Uber, a ride-sharing app, is not engaged in public transport services, why is it registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a business entity?

This was the question posed by Jesus “Bong” Suntay, the president of the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association, to Uber at a hearing for “online applications used by private vehicles to render transport service” called by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Monday morning.

Also present were other taxi operators and representatives of online taxi apps GrabTaxi, EasyTaxi, Tripid, Tripda and Uber. While GrabTaxi and EasyTaxi dispatch cabs with a franchise from the LTFRB, the others use private vehicles, prompting the agency to call for a hearing to determine if they should also be subjected to government regulation.

Uber lawyer Donemark Calimon insisted that Uber “was not engaged in public transportation” because it does not own any of the vehicles or employs the drivers it partners with.

Ginez, meanwhile, asked those present to submit their position papers on the issue within 10 days.