THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is urging commuters to file complaints against drivers of ride-sharing firm Grab who are overcharging their passengers.
Meanwhile, a transport group urged the LTFRB on Thursday to impose a P6-billion fine against Uber System Inc. for the operation of 50,000 unregistered units in Metro Manila.
Vigor Mendoza II, Kilusan sa Pagbabago ng Industriya ng Transportasyon president, said he filed a manifestation to sanction Uber with a much higher amount of fine, and to reject Uber’s offer to settle a P10-million fine in lieu of a one-month suspension.
He said the law provided that a driver without a 45-day provisional authority must pay a P120,000 fine for each unit.
The P6-billion fine was arrived at when “you multiply 50,000 units by P120,000,” he said.
Uber’s P10-million offer, he added, was tantamount to paying for 84 units only.
LTFRB board member and spokesperson Aileen Lizada said such move would ensure that Grab’s dynamic pricing scheme would be within the price cap for transportation network companies.
“We have talked with the management of Grab and they reiterated that they are within the cap. We have warned them that we will restrain them if they were found to have violated. If there are any complaints, we will address them as well,” Lizada said in an interview with reporters Wednesday.
She said Grab officials explained that their price surge was dependent on hours and road conditions where there was high demand for passengers.
The LTFRB, in its order dated Dec. 27, 2016, directed Uber and Grab to limit their maximum price surge to twice the rates for time covered and distance traveled excluding their base fares.
Grab country head Brian Cu earlier said price surge was limited at 1.4 times its regular rate, or about P20 to P50, after its competitor Uber was suspended for a month by the LTFRB.
Meanwhile, Lizada said the suspension against Uber still stood despite its disclosure in a board hearing that it had provided P100 million as financial assistance for the affected transportation network vehicle services drivers.
“That is their obligation to the TNVS who they put at risk. LTFRB cannot be faulted as we are doing everything to put a stop to this. We only want that the welfare of those affected TNVS will be protected,” she said.
Lizada said the agency would review Uber’s petition asking that it pay a P10 million fine in lieu of the one month suspension, and come up with a decision the soonest. With PNA