No sacred cows in public transport industry – LTFRB

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday insisted that there should not be any sacred cows in public transport, to include Grab and Uber which must abide by existing government regulations.

This was maintained by LTFRB spokesperson Aileen Lizada, who said that the agency was duty bound to impose what was right and morally legal in the name of fair play, whether the board’s decision was popular or not.

She noted the board will not “bend too far’’ to give in to the whims of Uber and Grab by setting the record straight that there should always be a level playing field in the transportation sector.

The two ride-sharing companies had repeatedly clashed with government regulators over questions of certain regulations that apply to them.

Earlier, the LTFRB demanded Uber to explain why it disobeyed a moratorium on the acceptance of new drivers.

Classified as Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS), Grab and Uber account for just two percent of 21.5 million public transport rides daily, according to Lizada.

Lizada scored some members of the transport sector in their attempt to hoodwink the government by defying existing transportation regulations.

She expressed disappointment, saying that it was dangerous for some members of the transportation sector to think that they can get away with these.

The LTFRB fined Uber and Grab R5 million each for operating without licenses, thus, classifying them as “colorum.”

The plan to rid the streets of some 50,000 ride sharing cars was shelved after Uber and Grab decided to talk it over with the government in the hope of ironing out some kinks.