LTFRB clarifies: No taxi flag down rate hike yet

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Tuesday clarified that the flagdown rate for taxis will remain at P30, as requests to increase it have yet to be approved.

In an interview on News To Go, LTFRB spokesperson Atty. Aileen Lizada said a flag-down rate hike from P30 to P40 in taxis cannot be implemented yet, since taxi operators seeking the increase have yet to submit their position papers on the matter. 

Afterwhich, the agency will have to decide whether or not to grant the request. The transport groups seeking the fare hike are the following: Philippine National Taxi Operators Association (PNTOA), the Cebu Taxi Operators, and the Panay Taxi Operators.

"Hindi pa yan effective kasi directed silang tatlo to file their position paper and then we will submit it for resolution. So, wala pa ho, hindi pa bumabalik sa P40 yung P30 na flagdown," Lizada said.

"Ayoko naman pangunahan yung members ng board but we will be having a discussion about it and lalabas ho yung order namin siguro mga next month... Give us one or two weeks to resolve the case para lalabas yung order," Lizada added.

App-based transport

Meanwhile, applications for Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) remain suspended due to the Memorandum Circular No. 2016-008 issued by the LTFRB last July 2016. 

"Suspended yung ating pagtanggap ng TNVS kasi kailangan talagang ayusin yung mga requirements para sa TNVS. It would not be wised on the part of LTFRB if hindi pa klaro yung mga patakaran. Kasi kung tatanggap kami, masyadong dadami nanaman yung sasakyan sa daanan," Lizada said.

Lizada also reiterated that app-based transport services are only allowed to surge their prices a maximum of twice the fare.

"Ang maximum lang na pwedeng i-surge ng TNVS ay x2, yun lang ho. Hindi na sila aabot ng x5. There is no surge on the based fare, only on the per kilometer competition nila," Lizada said. 

Last January, the LTFRB has dismissed more than 15,000 franchise applications for app-based transportation services Uber and Grab due to incomplete requirements and non-appearance of applicant in hearings. — GMA News