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The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved the accreditation of ridesharing mobile app Uber as a Transport Network Company (TNC).
Uber was advised by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to secure government accreditation as a TNC to legitimize its operations in the country.
Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya earlier said the company was told to apply for accreditation with the government “otherwise, we start apprehending their vehicles.”
The LTFRB issued guidelines in May to provide a regulatory framework for firms offering online private vehicle booking services.
Under the guidelines, TNCs would be required to obtain a certificate of public convenience from the LTFRB for every vehicle to ensure accountability.
Uber operators will also have to register with the LTFRB as common carriers and pay a filing fee of at least PHP520.
“We classify them as Transport Network Companies (TNCs). All they have to do is accredit with us. We don’t consider them as common carriers because they’re just an internet-based platform that provides the app,” said LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez.
Under the LTFRB’s rules, owners of private vehicles operating as public utility vehicles will be fined phP200,000 while their vehicles will be impounded for three months. (with a report from Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News)
Photo: Press release
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
