Ex-chair to LTFRB: Listen to Uber, Grab users

A former chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has asked the incumbent panel to listen to the views of the Grab and Uber users as the LTFRB cracks down on colorum transport network vehicle services (TNVS).

"Let the voices of TNVS users be heard," former LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said in Facebook post.

Ginez declined to comment on the LTFRB's ongoing moratorium on issuing new franchises for TNVS and the plan to apprehend unregistered or "colorum" ride-hailing service vehicles.

"Regarding LTFRB's decision of not accepting TNVS applications for issuance of franchise starting in August 2016 and apprehending the unregistered TNVS come July 26, 2017, I will observe dignified silence," Ginez said.

On July 21, 2016, the LTFRB decided to suspend acceptance of new applications to accredit new TNVS drivers under its Memorandum Circular 2016-008.

With the moratorium still in effect, an online petition posted on change.org seeks the lifting of the suspension order which would effectively grant permits to new drivers of Grab and Uber.

The LTFRB pronouncement of a crackdown came amid an online petition seeking the lifting of the suspension order which would effectively grant permits to new drivers of TNCs. As of this posting, 100,565 supporters have signed the petition.

Last week, the LTFRB slapped both Grab and Uber with a P5-million fine each for various violations of terms and conditions such as allowing drivers to operate even without a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) or a franchise of Provisional Authority (PA).

With this, LTFRB Board Member and spokesperson Aileen Lizada last said only those with the proper permits are allowed to operate.

Ginez recalled that the then Department of Transportation and Communications and the LTFRB "paved the entry" of TNVS in the entire country despite objections of taxi associations and operators and their allies in Congress.

"Our Board issued and implemented LTFRB Memo Circulars Nos. 015 -018 to allow and regulate the operations of TNVS as common carriers," Ginez said.

"For doing so, our country was hailed as the first country in the world to issue national regulations on TNVS. That was forward looking. That was embracing disruptive technologies, not fighting them," he added.

"That was promoting safety, convenience and comfort of the commuting public - the primary stakeholders of our agency," Ginez said.

With this, the former LTFRB chair said a case for Injunction with prayer for issuance of Temporary Restraining Order was filed against DOTC and LTFRB but "it failed."

"To spite us, a certain Jun Magno, may the Lord bless him, filed an Ombudsman complaint against me and Secretary Jun Abaya for allowing the entry of TNVS in the country. The case is still pending," Ginez said.

"That's what you get when you institute bold and game-changing reforms in the transport industry: cases, not praises!" he added. —NB, GMA News