A new form of service for public
transportation is emerging around Metro Manila like a mushroom. This is called TNVC
or Transportation Network Vehicle Service. The most famous TNC or Transportation
Network Companies that offer this kind of service are Uber and Grab Car. The
Memorandum Circular Number 2015-015 defines the TNC as “an organization whether
a corporation, partnership, or sole proprietor that provides pre-arranged
transportation services for compensation using an internet-based technology
application or digital platform technology to connect passengers with drivers
using their personal vehicles”.
A lot of commuters prefer booking a ride in
Uber or Grab Car rather than hiring a taxi, riding a bus, a jeepney or a train.
Their main reasons are convenience and safety.
Stop and Go filed a petition as the increase
of TNVS resulted to lower income of PUVs with franchises. On December 4, 2015, the
Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order to stop
accepting, processing, and approving, applications of those who wants to be an
Uber or Grab Car driver.[1]
I have not yet experienced booking a ride in
Grab Car or Uber but I know how tiring it is to wait for a taxicab for so long
and just be rejected by the driver, to stand in a bus during the whole trip, to
be paranoid inside a jeepney, and feel like being squeezed to death in a train. I heard a lot of stories about Uber and Grab
car and how satisfied their customers are. So why is there a need to limit
their application?
I do believe that having more options is
better. The population in the Metro is not proportional to currently available
transport vehicles, roads, and railways. But this should not stop the public to
yearn for comfort and safety. The TNVS is increasing as the needs are also
increasing and the public demands for it so I do not find the TRO appealing at
all. The issuance of TRO is like depriving the public to have something that is lawful and more advantageous for them. The Uber and Grab Car are
user-friendly and people want to maximize the use of their smart phones and
internet connection. When you book in TNC, everything is recorded in the system
so people have nothing to worry about their safety.
In addition, a lot of crimes are also
sprouting like a mushroom this Christmas season which adds to my repugnance to the untimely issuance of the TRO. No one would want to endanger their life and their hard-earned money.
Other competitors in the transport system or
group should take the promising TNVS as a challenge and as a healthy
competition. This will push them to improve their public service and to be more
customer-focused. After all, no one wants to settle for less.
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