LTFRB: No temporary TNVS permits

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) vowed Monday to put an end to the illegal practice of operating ride-hailing vehicles using so-called “temporary permits.”

LTFRB chairperson Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II clarified that there is no such thing as a temporary permit, warning that any Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) or public transport drivers claiming to have one are engaged in illegal operations.

“There is no such thing as tempo or temporary permits. This so-called tempo is fake. The LTFRB only issues provisional authority or authority to operate,” Mendoza said.

He warned Transport Network Companies (TNCs) to police their own ranks by ensuring that all TNVS under their platforms are compliant with government regulations.

“We already put a stop on this illegal practice right after my meeting with TNCs last month. But we keep on receiving complaints that there are still a handful of TNVS defying our warning on the use of this so-called tempo,” Mendoza said.

The practice, where TNVS vehicles were allegedly given temporary permission to operate, had reportedly become a source of corruption within the agency, with transport groups claiming that the permits were issued in exchange for a fee and regular commission for erring LTFRB personnel.

Transport groups have complained that the “tempo” issue is tantamount to operating as colorum vehicles.

In response, Mendoza, backed by the Department of Transportation, initiated the crackdown on “tempo” as part of a measure to increase the earnings of legitimate drivers and operators.

Based on transport group computations, colorum vehicles take away 30 percent of their daily income, making the operation an earnings protection for legitimate groups.

Mendoza warned that the operation against temporary permits will also be monitored in other public transport platforms. He added that intelligence-gathering was also intensified against the cohorts of TNVS operators within the LTFRB.

“We will not hesitate to cancel your authority to operate if we find out that you are tolerating and doing nothing to address this,” Mendoza warned TNCs. “These vehicles cannot operate if you do your job properly because corrupt TNVS use your online platform.”