The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) today urged the transport network vehicle services (TNVS) community to spare the riding public from its scheduled “transport holiday” on July 8.
In a statement, LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III has appealed to TNVS operators to reconsider their plan to go offline from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday in a bid to air their grievances against the regulatory commission.
“We ask TNVS operators to be more circumspect in their plan to hold a transport holiday that will affect the commuting public,” Delgra said, and urged them to instead hold a dialogue with the agency. Tens of thousands of users, primarily of ride-hailing platform Grab, are expected to be affected by the planned activity.
“Bring their legitimate concerns to LTFRB, in dialogue, so that the Board can address them and not hold the riding public hostage by their planned disruptive action. The LTFRB welcomes constructive criticisms and feedback from all stakeholders,” Delgra added.
Several TNVS groups will hold a 12-hour transport strike at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, Mendiola Bridge, and Senate-Diokno Avenue in Pasay City on Monday as a show of force against LTFRB’s several policies which they said adversely affect their livelihood opportunities.
“The 12-hour #LabanTNVS Transport Holiday on Monday is our form of collective protest against our various issues and complaints against the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s pahirap policies (causing hardship) which curtails our right to decent and legitimate livelihood for our families,” the TNVS community said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Grab has also urged the TNVS against their plan as it ““could negatively impact the ability of passengers to book rides.”
“Let us take the high road and to not resort to any rash actions that would directly affect the passengers we are all committed to serve,” Grab Philippines public affairs manager Atty. Nicka Hosaka said in a statement.