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TNVS: A Threat to the Taxi Industry

Thousands of Filipinos commute everyday. However, one cannot deny


that commuting in Metro Manila has always been such an agony. Almost
every day, people have to endure the horrendous traffic, unbearable long
lines in the MRT, faulty trains, and those grueling, overcrowded bus rides. So,
for those who can afford it and wish to avoid these situations, taking a taxi
seems to be the solution. Yes, it promises convenience, safety, and faster
travel time but, of course, for a more expensive fare. It seems just about
right, until you meet those abusive taxi drivers, who would subject
passengers to unfair trade practices, refuse to transport commuters to a
certain destination, or fail to give the exact amount of change. Safety issues
have also been raised as several reports of people getting robbed, raped or
kidnapped while in a taxi have been made. It is no wonder then why most
Filipinos have embraced the ride-sharing services such as Uber and GrabCar
when they entered the Philippine market in 2014.
Not everyone was happy with the arrival of these two companies in our
country though. Just like in other countries, these ride-sharing services have
been objected here in the Philippines by several public utility vehicle (PUV)
operators because of unfair competition. The Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) have both been hard on these
companies at the start, claiming that the ride-sharing service is illegal since
they are operating without any franchise. To resolve the issue, and also after
an outcry from the commuters, both LTFRB and DOTC came up with
comprehensive regulations to make the operations of both Uber and GrabCar
compliant with our public service laws. They created new transport
categories such as the Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) and
Transport Network Companies (TNC), which basically legalized the new PUV
players. The fight is not over though because on Friday, December 4, 2015, a
20-day Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) has been issued by the Quezon
City RTC against the operation of the said companies. This TRO, which was
granted in favor of the Stop and Go Transport Coalition, essentially puts a
stop on the orders issued by LTFRB and DOTC, which allows the operation of
the TNVS.
Personally, I am against this TRO. There is no question that these ridesharing services have provided Filipinos with compelling alternatives to
taking regular taxicabs and dealing with greedy and abusive cab drivers.
With Uber and GrabCar, people would not have to worry so much about their
safety as both companies provide the drivers information such as name,
plate number, etc., when booking and make sure that every ride is safe,
tracked, and convenient. It even gives the passenger an option to rate your
experience and send a feedback to the company. Another thing is that both
Uber and GrabCars drivers are definitely more courteous and considerate of

their passengers. Most of the vehicles are also fairly new and clean
compared to those regular taxicabs. And lastly, both companies also offer
promos and discounts. These are the reasons why a lot of Filipinos
considered these app-based transport services to be the solution to most of
the issues or concerns they had with regular taxicabs as they are now
provided with an innovative, better, more convenient, safer, and sometimes
even cheaper way of commuting.
So, the question is, why are there people trying to stop these
companies from providing their services in our country? Well, simply because
of the fact that it negatively impacted their business. I understand that the
income of taxi drivers has reduced over the past months but putting an end
to the operations of these companies should not be the solution. This should
be a wake-up call to them. They should see this as a competition. They
should realize that there may be something wrong with their services, which
is why the people preferred to use Uber and GrabCar. If the taxi Industry
cares for the welfare of the commuters, then they should rethink and adapt
to the situation. Instead of putting all their efforts to put an end to the
operations of these TNVS, why not just look into how they can improve their
services?

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