Poe seeks Senate probe into Uber, GrabCar, etc.

AS UBER, GrabCar and similar rides gain popularity among Metro Manila commuters, the Senate should still assess the safety and reliability of these online-enabled transportation services, according to Sen. Grace Poe.

Poe also said the Senate committee on public services should look into integration of these services into the country’s public transport network, in aid of legislation.

In a resolution filed recently, Poe noted that these services, which allow people to book rides with a private vehicle through mobile phones, have been gaining a following in the country particularly in Metro Manila.

“Users of online-enabled transportation services have stated that it is a safer and more reliable alternative to the taxi system in Metro Manila,” she said in her resolution. They have emerged as an “innovative, safe and convenient modality for transportation.”

In May, the Department of Transportation and Communications issued an order recognizing online-enabled transportation services as a new class of public transportation.

It created the Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) classification so that the department could regulate the application-based services of Transportation Network Companies.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has also issued guidelines on the accreditation and issuance of certificates of public convenience for TNVS.

In her resolution, Poe also took note of a report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency that the total traffic demand in Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite already amounts to 18.8 million trips.

The demand has already overtaken road capacity and it is still expected to increase to 22.5 million trips per day.

Hence, the government must look for ways to improve transportation and to support creative means of dealing with related issues, said Poe.

“The above-mentioned circumstances indicate that the state must not only improve our existing transportation network but also encourage the development of innovative means of transportation in order to address the expected increase in traffic demand,” she said.

While commuters have been turning to the ride-booking applications, “traditional” taxi operators have complained about these services, saying they have been hurting their businesses.

The taxi operators maintain that Uber and the like enjoy an unfair advantage since their fares are not regulated. Leila B. Salaverria