The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) suspended the operations of InDrive, a new transport network vehicle company for allegedly violating the government’s fare matrix.
Ariel Inton, president of the Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection (LCSP), said in a phone interview Tuesday the LTFRB issued the suspension order to RL Soft Corp., the operator of inDrive, during a hearing.
Inton said the suspension order would take effect for 30 days. He said the LTFRB found that InDrive violated the fare contracting practice of the agency.
Inton said InDrive was also operating in Metro Manila, and “that’s one violation.”
The company secured in December 2023 an accreditation as a transport network company (TNC) from LTFRB, enabling it to offer ride-hailing services in the Philippines.
The TNC inDrive was supposed to initially offer its services in five cities, including Baguio, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan and Bacolod.
Officials of inDrive announced it would soon activate its services in Metro Manila in the first quarter of 2024. The global company is operating in more than 700 cities across over 46 countries and is the second-most downloaded mobility app.
Its services are already being offered across Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.