In case you missed it, the Philippine Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) reversed its decision ordering Grab to reimburse passengers for its P2.00 per minute fare component. That doesn’t mean that the ride-hailing firm is in the clear though, as it says it is still appealing the P10 million fine handed down by the government agency.
Still, the company says it is thankful to the LTFRB and Department of Transportation (DOTr) for “allowing the time-based fare component of P2 per minute.”
“Our TNVS partners especially share this gratitude. This will benefit not only the TNVS community but also the riding public who only ask for reliable, safe rides,” the company said in a statement.
Despite the show of gratitude, Grab did emphasize that the time-based fare was never illegal: “The LTFRB's reversal of its decision to order Grab to reimburse passengers on the P2 per minute fare component lends credence to the fact that Grab did not do anything illegal when it implemented the time-based fare component in June 2017.
“Moreover, at the recent Technical Working Group meeting of the House Committee on Transportation, Rep. Jericho Nograles, who was the main complainant in the P2/min issue against Grab, himself read on-record a provision in his own proposed bill stating that "TNCs may set their own fare," which is virtually identical to the very Department Order we relied on when we imposed the P2 per minute fare component.”
The company ended the statement assuring that it has the same goal in mind as both the LTFRB and DOTr: To provide quality transportation to the Filipino commuting community. “We are committed to these goals,” Grab said.
So it looks like all parties involved are finally coming to a compromise or two. Is an end to the country’s ride-hailing drama finally in sight?
