SENATOR Grace Poe said Friday the country’s transport regulator should immediately act on pending applications of technology-enabled transport services such as Uber and Grab for the welfare of the commuting public.
Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, conducted a hearing on ride-hailing or ride-sharing services to work on policies that would embrace innovation in the public transportation sector.
The senator said she would work toward crafting a policy that would govern Uber and Grab, but vowed that the impending legal framework will consider public welfare and the common good.
“The public must be given more choices when it comes to transportation in the absence of improvements in the sector. We will craft laws that will ensure fair treatment. You can call the taxi anywhere, their flag down rate will be fixed,” she said.
“Now if they will have an app that it can enter into a contract, so there will be price competition. If you call them ahead of time similar to the app of Grab and Uber, this will benefit a greater number of the riding public. We have to support them. We need to adapt to balance what is right and fair,” she said.
The lawmaker stressed that Uber and Grab—which have an ongoing spat with the country’s transport regulator, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board —were here to stay.
She said her committee would call for technical working group discussions and work toward crafting legislation that would spell out the status or “identity” of transport network vehicle services, including the allowable and reasonable number of registered cars for an owner, and the extent of their tax liability.
Poe then called on the LTFRB to act on pending applications of Uber and Grab units with complete documents and come out with a decision on fare hike applications of regular taxis—which have been put on freeze for eight years despite inflationary and cost of living adjustments—by September.
She said tech-based transport firms should not accredit new applications pending the resolution of issues surrounding TNVS.
Poe cited Article 1732 of the Civil Code which defines common carriers as “persons, corporations, firms or associations engaged in the business of carrying or transporting passengers or goods or both, by land, water, or air for compensation, offering their services to the public.”
She added the absence of a franchise was not a requisite for the incurring liability under the Civil Code provisions governing common carriers.
“If we want to move forward and craft legislation that is fair to all, then we should be forthright, respectful of the process and respectful to each other. Let’s respect each other, but we will be watching,” Poe said.
Lawyer Aileen Lizada, LTFRB board member and spokesperson, said the main issue was the issuance of franchise to TNVS units.
She said had Uber and Grab done their own policing in allowing units with franchises or provisional authority to operate, they would not have tightened their grip on TNVS and the public would not have had a hard time in booking their services.
The Philippines, in 2015, was considered the first country in the world to recognize ride-hailing services when the government issued nationwide regulations for companies such as Uber and Grab.
But that was overturned by the LTFRB when it issued a moratorium on the acceptance of new member drivers last year.
Poe likewise called on transport franchise holders to improve their services and the LTFRB to tighten the noose against abusive practices of public transport drivers like price fixing and overpricing, refusing riders, and colorum units, among others.
A total 66,890 Uber units and 52,393 Grab units were accredited by the transport network companies, but not even half of those figures were given the authority to operate by the LTFRB.