On Wed, Jan 27, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) ordered transportation network company (TNC) MyTaxi.ph to stop offering GrabBike as a public transportation service. The MyTaxi.ph is an authorized TNC of the LTFRB that runs GrabCar transportation network vehicles (TNVs). The GrabBike service covered only the Makati and Bonifacio Global City (BGC) area.
“LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez said the board and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) have not yet promulgated guidelines that would allow the operation of GrabBike,” reports Robertzon Ramirez in The Philippine Star.
Ginez explained, “The DOTC has not yet allowed motorcycles to be used as (part of the) public transportation system.”
It may be recalled that “the LTFRB and the DOTC previously came up with memorandum circulars and a department order, respectively, that allowed the operation of Uber and GrabCar.”
The LTFRB will be compelled to cancel the accreditation of MyTaxi.ph if it defies the order of the board. MyTaxi.ph can also be fined as much as PHP1 million for operating GrabBike because the service can be considered colorum.
