Transportation regulators are pressed for action on the influx of illegal vehicles using provisional permits of Uber, Grab and other mobile-app based networks.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte on Sunday said that it has been a month since the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board promised to streamline its regulations amid mounting complaints against abusive drivers and the illegal practice of colorum cars plying the streets.
“With every complaint that we hear against Uber and Grab, the LTFRB’s standard response is to say that it will tighten and review its rules covering these transport networking firms. But reassurances alone are not enough. The riding public wants action, not words,” he said.
“What would take LTFRB to buckle down to work on such complaints and illegal practices? It’s failure to act swiftly has only emboldened erring drivers to commit abuses and operators to resort to irregular practices.”
The government had exposed the illegal practice of transport network operators of encouraging partner-drivers to operate their car-riding services even without provisional authority from the LTFRB.
Under current rules, the LTFRB said operators of apprehended vehicles have been required to pay P200,000 for operating transport services illegally.
No provisions or fines are imposed by the LTFRB against
Uber and Grab for activating the accounts of their partner-drivers even without a franchise.
Villafuerte called on the LTFRB to hasten the
review of its policies governing transport network companies to discipline the erring drivers.
The lawmaker said while he recognizes that Grab, Uber and other online transportation network companies are filling the service gaps not being provided by taxis, they must be regulated.