SENATOR Grace Poe urged Thursday the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to regulate the operations of Transport Network Companies (TNCs) without sacrificing the welfare of the riding public.
Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, said she will craft a law that will benefit all stakeholders in the transport sector, including the riding public, the vehicles that operate under the transport network vehicle service (TNVS) and taxi.
"We need a win-win solution. Let us all listen to reason," she said Thursday during the continuation of the hearing tackling on the issue between the LTFRB and the TNCs Grab and Uber.
Poe said Congress is already hearing all camps and weighing all considerations as she insisted that this problem is all about the fact Metro Manila riders are in need of transport services.
The senator said that it is a must for TNC's Grab and Uber to comply with the law just like what the taxis, jeepneys, and buses are doing.
Poe also urged the LTFRB not to put too much limit and pressure on the TNC's considering that many people are benefitting from them.
"Let us resolve this properly and accordingly. Grab and Uber should stop applications until such time that the LTFRB will be able to resolve this. For the taxi, it is important that we give them a good price competition na hindi matatalo ang lahat," Poe said.
"It should be fair and square to all. Kawawa ang ating mga maliliit na kababayan na nag invest na rin dito sa Grab at Uber kung hindi magiging patas ang LTFRB. Pero huwag na kayong magdagdag. At kawawa din ang mga driver natin ng taxi pati mga operators kung hindi natin sila bibigyan ng kundi luwag na makapagtaas at makalaban sa competition," Poe said.
Poe said the Senate is contemplating what law should be crafted that will benefit the riding public, the TNCs, and the taxi drivers and operators.
Poe also asked for a clear definition of ride sharing that the TNCs are now practicing.
During the hearing, Aileen Lizada, a board member of the LTFRB, reminded both Grab and Uber that the issuance of a franchise is an authority delegated by Congress to the LTFRB.
Lizada said that both Grab and Uber allowed their partner drivers to operate without the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) franchise or even the Provisional Authority.
Lizada said it is a must for everyone including taxis, jeeps, buses and the TNCs to comply with what the law requires as she maintained that they are just following the existing law granted by Congress.
"We are a regulatory body and what we are imposing is the existing law granted by Congress. We cannot just bow down to them. It is our duty to regulate based on existing terms and conditions that were given through the power of Congress,” Lizada explained.
It can be recalled that the LTFRB asked both Grab and Uber with a P5 million fine each for various violations of terms and conditions of the certification of TNC accreditation under Memorandum Circular 2015-016. (VoxPop Philippines)