A TRANSPORT group on Monday filed a petition for a 50-percent fare reduction with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for Uber Systems Inc. and other transport network vehicle service.
Vigor Mendoza II, 1-United Transport Koalisyon national president, said the fare for Uber, GrabTaxi and other TNVS “patterned [after] or equated to taxi fares.”
“1-Utak files a petition to reduce base of transport network companies (TNCs)—GrabTaxi and Uber—by half and remove surge pricing,” he told The Standard.
He invoked Section 16(c) of the Public Service Act and the guidelines of the Supreme Court “in the case of of Kilusang Mayo Uno Labor Center s. Garcia, the pertinent portion of which read.”
“To fix and determine individual or joint rates, tolls, charges, classifications or schedules thereof, as well as commutation, mileage, kilometrage and other special rates which shall be imposed, observed and followed thereafter by a public service,” he cited.
He said Uber and the rest of the TNCs have their own price formula not under the control of the LTFRB.
“On top of this, Uber charges a surge pricing where Uber in its own discretion may increase fares by up to five times the standard fare rates,” his petition read.
The TNCs have been violating the Public Service Act and Section 5(c) of Executive Order No. 202 of 1987, he maintained.