DOTr urged to oversee Grab, Uber

A Bicol congressman wants the regulation of transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Grab and their transport network vehicle service (TNVS) providers or drivers transferred from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

In Bill 6467, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said since TNCs “do not render transportation services, but merely connect a potential customer to a third-party driver, they should not be under the control of LTFRB.”

He added that his bill would create “a separate regulatory framework for TNCs and TNVS, given their unique character.”

Villafuerte pointed out that under a Supreme Court ruling, the DOTr has authority over transportation-related concerns.

He said TNVS providers should be considered as private carriers “because they can choose not to offer their car-riding services by signing off from the platform and their services are by special agreement only.”

In contrast, he said common carriers are persons, corporations or associations engaged in the business of carrying or transporting passengers or goods or both, for compensation. To protect the riding public, HB 6467 seeks to require TNCs and TNVS providers to secure permits from the DOTr, which would be authorized to compel them to secure comprehensive insurance policies, conduct safety inspections of prospective TNVS vehicles before these are approved for use, and oversee drivers through stringent background checks.

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