‘Slim Only’ stickers in PUVs offensive

Stay slim to fit in.

That could well be the message of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers who have posted “For Slim Only” stickers at the front seat of their passenger vans—a mimicry of witty jeepney signs that are not to be taken seriously.

True enough, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) does not find the signs funny and, in fact, calls them discriminatory.

Not only that, LTFRB member Ariel Inton said such display may be considered a franchise violation.

Not funny

Inton, a lawyer, issued this reminder on Monday after receiving complaints of “Slim Only” stickers on dashboards of UV Express vans, suggesting that the front seat is reserved for skinny passengers.

“It may sound amusing, at first, but this is clear discrimination against passengers, and this is prohibited under the Joint Administrative Order  No. 2014-01 of the Land Transportation Office and the LTFRB,” Inton said in a statement.

In a phone interview with the Inquirer, Inton said refusal to render service to the public or transport passengers  amounted to discrimination, which is a violation of traffic rules and regulations under the administration order, and could merit the suspension or cancellation of a PUV’s franchise.

For the first offense, the driver or operator will be fined P5,000. For the second offense, the driver or operator will be fined P10,000 and the passenger van will be impounded for 30 days.

For the third and subsequent offenses, a fine of P15,000 will be imposed and the certificate of public convenience may be canceled.

What appears to be the rationale behind the “Slim Only” policy is to accommodate more passengers in the front seat, Inton said.

“But if the seat is free, why be selective about who sits there? The public should be able to use public utility vehicles for as long as [the passenger] paid the fare,” Inton said. “There is no room for ‘reserve seats’ in PUVs.”

‘Ladies only’

Inton said he had also received complaints of passenger discrimination against gender, with one text complaint reporting a “ladies only” policy for the front seat—also expressed through a sticker—of public utility jeepneys plying the Lawton-Paliparan route in the cities of Manila and Pasay.

Inton said such practices violated various antidiscrimination laws in the Philippines, and drivers who discriminate against passengers based on physique, gender or age were subject to the same liabilities and penalties as those who discriminate against persons with disabilities (PWDs) or senior citizens.

But Inton said drivers may give priority seating to certain sectors.

“There are passengers you give priority to, like PWDs or senior citizens. But never discriminate based on size or physique or gender. To give priority is to accept passengers. To discriminate is to refuse them,” he said.

Inton said passengers who experienced discrimination and ill-treatment from PUV drivers may file complaints at the LTFRB.

To PUV drivers who engaged in discriminatory practices, Inton warned: “Stop it, before we start apprehending you.” With reports from Aries Joseph Hegina, Inquirer.net; and Ricky Brozas, Radyo Inquirer