LTFRB wants taxi fares at par with Uber rates

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has “unanimously agreed” to increase taxi fares, making it “at par” with the rates of transport network company Uber, Chairman Martin Delgra III said Wednedsay.

“Ang gagawin, we will try to make it at par with TNVS (transport network vehicle services) or more particularly with the Uber system kasi nade-dehado daw mga taxi drivers ngayon,” Delgra said during the Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed 2018 budget for the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

“Ang gagawin na namin ng Board, we have already agreed unanimously, we are going to do it on a running time rate so aside from the distance travelled, meron na ring papasok on the time travel,” he explained.

Uber implements its pricing based on the distance and duration of the passenger’s ride. In the application, it states that “traffic, weather or any factors that extend the distance or duration of [the] ride can contribute to a difference between [the] estimated and actual fare.”

Delgra said the LTFRB has already conducted a dialogue with taxi operators two weeks ago, and will be able to release a decision by the end of the month.

He said an increase in taxi fares would hopefully solve the problem of “underutilization” of cabs.

“We are trying to fast track that. We understand fully well the basic problem of taxi operators, the underutilization of taxi units kasi walang taxi driver na magtatrabaho pagta-taxi,” Delgra said. —ALG, GMA News