THE chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Tuesday said the recent move of a transport organization to file a lawsuit against him, the secretary of Transportation and Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) operators, is a desperate move and attempt to malign the agency’s reputation.
Earlier this week Jun Magno of transport group Stop & Go filed a complaint at the Ombudsman against LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez, Transportation Secretary Jose Emilio A. Abaya, TNVS, such as Uber, Grab and UHop, for allegedly conspiring in allowing TNVS companies to operate without a franchise.
The operations of TNVS were regulated by the board through memorandum circular (MC) orders issued in May last year, setting specific guidelines, policies, regulations that ensure all TNVS and transport network companies must secure the required Certificate of Public Convenience before they can offer their services
The MCs clearly state, among others, the process and legal documentary requirements for accreditation of a transportation network company (TNC) and what TNVS operators needed in order to secure their franchises before they can start operating online-enabled transport services (OETS). “Clearly, Stop & Go is resorting to pernicious act of forum shopping to dissuade us from providing our commuting public with safe, reliable, convenient and comfortable transportation that is sanctioned by our existing transportation laws,” Ginez said. The same transport organization filed another law case, but failed to convince the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City to grant an injunction against the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and LTFRB in implementing the department order and MCs creating TNVS as a new mode of public transportation.
“We are confident that just like the RTC in Quezon City, the Ombudsman will reject the baseless and unfounded allegations of Stop & Go. We believe that there is no legal infirmity for TNVS operating on provisional authority pending issuance of their franchise,” Ginez said. The increasing public clamor for OETS popularly used in various countries overseas prompted the LTFRB to carefully study the current local transport situation. It also solicited the views of TNCs and TNVs in order to draft the policies and regulations in effectively governing their operations, while ensuring the safety and convenience of the riding public.
The board supports the initiative of the DOTC in introducing a new mode of transport that could provide safe, efficient and reliable transport services.
“While the board is open to embracing new technology, we want to ensure the public’s safety and convenience by accreditation of qualified TNCs and issuance of franchises to TNVS operators that meet LTFRB’s legal requirements.”
Today, the riding public is satisfied with the convenient, reliable and safe transport services provided by TNVS, particularly during rush hours and when they commute late in the evening or early morning.