The order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to allow Uber drivers to transfer to Grab and U-Hop while Uber remains suspended raised more questions than answers, Senator JV Ejercito said Friday.
Ejercito had said that while it was only proper that Uber should be penalized for defying LTFRB regulations, the penalty imposed on it by the agency has inconvenienced the public and has had a negative impact on Uber drivers' livelihood.
"With this new order, isn't the agency essentially attempting to mitigate the problems caused by the very order they issued?" he asked.
"Yes, Uber violated regulations. They have apologized. They should be punished. But the punishment should take into consideration the larger interest of the public," he said.
He also questioned if the LTFRB was too proud to shorten the suspension period or accede to Uber's request to just pay a fine in lieu of suspension.
"Don't these alternatives drive home the point that no one can get away with violating our rules but at the same time avoiding exacerbating the suffering of Filipino commuters?" Ejercito asked.
Meanwhile, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the LTFRB to stop its ‘selective crackdown just to prove a point’ and review its suspension order.
She noted that the blanket suspension affects at least 200,000 riders in Metro Manila daily.
“Commuters are taking the brunt of this punishment, which is unfair," said Hontiveros, even as she reminded Uber to follow LTFRB regulations for their clients’ welfare.
“It does not bid well for the public if Uber continues to defy LTFRB,” she said.
She said the blanket suspension is cruel to those who are left with no alternatives and left to be preyed upon by abusive taxi drivers. Yung LTFRB pinag-30 day challenge ang mga commuters,” she added.
Although cognizant of the challenges in the public transport system and public transport groups, Hontiveros said that LTFRB must not remain deaf to the collective groan of the public on the serving of the suspension.
“A one-kilometer distance is being charged by abusive taxi drivers P200, according to some reports. Yung iba, nakaka-ilang para ng taxi kasi ‘pagarahe na’ o ‘wala sa ruta," Hontiveros added.
“Are you cracking down on abusive taxi drivers and colorum units as much as you are hell-bent on cracking down on Uber and TNVS providers?” Hontiveros asked the LTFRB.
On Monday, LTFRB suspended the accreditation and operations Transport Network Vehicle Service provider Uber System Inc. for a month, citing several violations. Uber appealed for a motion for reconsideration but was junked by the regulatory board.