Poe holds closed-door meeting with LTFRB, Uber execs

Senator Grace Poe PHOTO FROM OFFICE OF SEN. GRACE POE

Senator Grace Poe is meeting with representatives of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Uber Wednesday in a bid to iron out the suspension of the ride hailing firm’s operation.

Poe called for an “urgent” meeting with the heads of the LTFRB and Uber after the regulatory body imposed a one-month suspension for all Uber vehicles.

READ: LTFRB suspends Uber for 1 month

LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra and Board Member Aileen Lizada are both present in the closed-door meeting.

Meanwhile, representing Uber in the meeting are Regional General Manager Mike Brown, Regional Regulatory Lead Ben Brooks, Uber Philippines General Manager Laurence Cua and Uber Philippines’ Government Relations and Public Policy head Yves Gonzalez.

Uber was suspended after it defied the LTFRB’s directive last July 26 not to accept and activate new drivers into its platform.

The LTFRB’s decision drew criticisms from the public, including several lawmakers.

Poe, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, called the suspension “both cruel and absurd.”

“The decision of the LTFRB to suspend Uber is both cruel and absurd, to say the least. I am aghast that this agency that committed before the Senate to resolve the issues has just imposed a cure that will only make the disease much worse,” Poe said in a statement late Monday night. JPV