The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday convened a dialogue with 19 Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) platforms operating in the country as part of efforts to ensure compliance with fare discount mandates for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and students.
The initiative follows reports of noncompliance with the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, which entitle seniors and PWDs to 20% fare discounts, as well as reported violations of similar guidelines for students.
During the dialogue, Grab Philippines reiterated the steps it has undertaken to comply with the said laws, and highlighted the systems it has put in place within its app to ensure that discounts are accessible to passengers entitled to them.
Meanwhile Russian-founded ride-hailing service inDrive, which resumed operations in the Philippines in June 2024, provided updates on its compliance initiatives, including the official launch of discounts for qualified passengers on its platform starting Dec. 18, 2024.
In a statement, the Coalition of Filipino Commuters (CFC) emphasized the need for the LTFRB to “enforce a uniform application of government-mandated discounts for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities across all digital ride-hailing platforms.” The group underscored the importance of such discounts, citing accessibility and inclusivity as key benefits for vulnerable sectors of society.
The LTFRB has earlier reminded drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs), as well as TNVS firms to fully comply with laws that extend 20% discounts to senior citizens, PWDs and students.
Last December, LTFRB Chairman Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III lamented that “despite the clear guidelines, reports of non-compliance have prompted the agency to take action.”
Mr. Guadiz stressed that refusal to honor the government-mandated discounts “go against the law and are a disservice to commuters.”
He likewise reminded PUV and TNVS operators that violations of the special passenger discount guidelines carry fines and penalties, including suspension or revocation of franchises for repeat offenders.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.
