Poe: Uber, Grab drivers should not suffer amid LTFRB crackdown

Sen. Grace Poe. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Drivers of Uber and Grab should not be caught in the crossfire amid the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)’s plan to ban vehicles from ride-hailing companies, Senator Grace Poe said on Tuesday.

This as Poe questioned the LTFRB whether its failure to act on the applications of Transport Network Vehicles (TNVs) for franchise was intentional.

“We must acknowledge the fact that many of our commuters now rely on to travel around the city. The companies of TNVs provide services that taxi operators have been remiss to provide in the past decade—point-to-point pick-up and delivery, standardized fare, and safe and comfortable rides,” Poe said in a statement.

“(D)rivers of Uber and Grab should not be caught in the crossfire between LTFRB and the TNVS. Uber and Grab invited individuals to apply as drivers. These individuals were accepted by these companies, and consequently, invested time and money in this endeavor. They have already been driving for several months, with the understanding that they will be given a certificate of public convenience (CPC),” she said.

“Paano ngayon sila? Sino ang mananagot diyan? Was the LTFRB’s inaction on their applications intentional?” Poe added.

The challenge for the LTFRB, according to Poe, is to find balance between regulating TNVs while it is ensuring that the riding public have access to safe, comfortable, and reliable transportation.

“Thus, until we are able to improve mass transportation, the LTFRB should defer its decision to disallow new applications from Grab and Uber drivers,” she said.

The senator, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, said she plans to file a resolution and a bill to address the legality of TNVs operating in the country.

Despite her support for the ride-hailing companies, the senator reminded the government that it should still control the number of private persons allowed to ply a route.

If anybody can just operate transportation services for the public, Poe said “we may have an oversupply of common carriers in one area, or a lack of transportation in another.”

Recently, the LTFRB fined Grab and Uber P5 million each for violating the terms and conditions of their accreditation, such as the inclusion in their platforms of drivers who do not have franchises to operate.

By July 26, Grab and Uber drivers without franchises will be fined P120,000 and their vehicles impounded for three months. With Christia Ramos, INQUIRER.net trainee/JE/rga