LTFRB Holds Dialogue With TNVS Partners on Various Issues

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) recently held a dialogue with transport network vehicle service (TNVS) partners--the drivers and operators that run under Grab, and until recently, Uber's, banners--to discuss the various issues being raised in the news and social media regarding the supposed decline in their service.

First, the TNVS partners apologized for the actions of some of their peers. For the past couple of weeks on social media, people have posted a myriad of complaints ranging from drivers asking to double the cost of the fare for their troubles to drivers accepting bookings yet refusing to pick up a passenger and waiting for them to cancel so as not to affect their incentive rating.

An issue raised by TNVS drivers were passengers who would get sick in their cars and vomit. According to one driver, Uber required them to get a receipt from the car wash that cleaned the car to process the refund while another driver said that Uber would only process the refund up to a maximum of PHP1,000 which they found out after the car's interior was detailed.

According to the LTFRB, transport network companies (TNCs) should come up with a common policy regarding the cleaning fee, with LTFRB member Atty. Aileen Lizada noting the business design of some TNCs that were submitted to the agency indicated a said fee while some TNCs did not.

"We need to clarify this para klaro tayo so no reason na hihingi ang TNVS from the rider (we need to clarify this so that we're all clear and in agreement that there should be no reason for a TNVS to ask from the rider)," Lizada said about the cleaning fee.

Another issue raised was that if one TNVS partner is blacklisted from a TNC, he/she will be blacklisted with the other TNCs as well, ostensibly to stop the driver or operator from continuing with his/her illegal practices with other TNCs. This will be part of the 'Code of Conduct' the LTFRB and the TNCs will draft to police and maintain discipline within the ranks of TNVS operators and drivers.

In addition, TNCs disclosed the possibility that they may also blacklist passengers as well though no mention was madeas for the possible reasons to constitute such an action.

On the issue of masking the destination from the driver, which was recently instituted by Grab with 25 percent of its drivers, the agency said that it will push through with all TNCs and that for both the driver and passenger's safety, it will fast track a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on a security protocol with the Philippine National Police's Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Red Cross. While the PNP-HPG and MMDA's roles in the MOA are clear, Lizada clarified with Carmudi.com.ph that the Red Cross's role is to assist passengers in a medical emergency while PDEA's involvement is because "some riders use TNVS to transport drugs."

"The LTFRB's role should focus on providing regulation for fair competition and consumer protection," stressed Lizada.

"Maganda 'yung outcome ng dialogue (the outcome of the dialogue was good")," said Lizada in a statement at the conclusion of the dialogue. "We told everyone to start with a clean slate."

On another note, Lizada shared that the apps for three of the new TNCs can be dowloaded on the following dates:

May 8 - Owto

May 12 - Golag

May 19 - Hype

Hirna's app is already available online though it is still exclusively used for taxis in Davao.