Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has become swamped with franchise applications for app-based taxi services with no cap on the number of requests for permits.
Lawmakers have taken notice and are asking regulators to stop granting franchises to transport network vehicle service applicants.
The guidelines set by the Department of Transportation and Communications on app-based transportation acknowledged the role of Congress in setting rules for the new service.
That’s why Rep. Winnie Castelo, chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, said his colleagues had started drafting rules to protect taxi passengers.
Regulating the number of taxis, he said, would lessen their impact on Metro Manila traffic.
He added that there had been so many complaints against some Uber and Grab drivers who raise their prices when it’s raining.
“So Congress has to intervene so that we will disallow price surging and we will insist na dapat po may fare matrix na susundan ng Grab at Uber,” he said.
Ariel Inton, an LTFRB board member, has also asked for a moratorium on accepting new applications.
But a Grab driver, Edgar Ferol, disagreed with the claim that there are too many taxis.
“Kulang pa po ang GrabCar o Uber sa demand ng passenger,” he said.
Larmakers said they would finalize the rules on transport network companies and transport network vehicle service providers within two weeks.
