Widespread unauthorized operations and overboarding in the country’s ride-hailing and motorcycle taxi sector has spurred urgent action, as concerns grow over commuter safety, driver welfare, and platform accountability.

Data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) show that up to 72 percent of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) units around 40,000 out of 56,000 may be operating without proper authority.

Experts warn this reflects not just a compliance gap, but a normalization of “colorum” operations within digital transport platforms.

The issue is compounded by overboarding practices among major players such as Grab and Move It. Move It has already been directed to reduce its fleet from 14,000 to 7,000 riders—an acknowledgment that a significant portion of its operations exceeded allowed limits. Similar concerns have been raised against Grab and other platforms for maintaining rider and driver numbers beyond regulatory quotas.

Meanwhile, inDrive has also been flagged in relation to driver concerns, including issues on onboarding practices and the growing number of unregistered or loosely verified drivers operating within the platform. These developments highlight broader systemic gaps in monitoring and data transparency across the industry.

The impact on stakeholders is immediate. Legitimate drivers who complied with registration requirements face unfair competition, while commuters are exposed to potential risks from unvetted operators. The unchecked expansion of driver pools also distorts fares and undermines service reliability.

Amid these developments, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to provide financial assistance to affected transport workers.

According to DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, more than 478,000 drivers nationwide have received P5,000 each, amounting to over P2.3 billion in aid.

However, the aid rollout has also exposed discrepancies in data submitted by transport network companies.

Dumlao noted that many drivers reported being excluded from official lists, while others were found to be “multi-homing,” or operating across multiple platforms. These inconsistencies suggest possible underreporting or bloated submissions, raising further questions on platform compliance.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian warned that failure to address these issues could harm both commuters and law-abiding drivers, especially amid rising fuel costs and economic pressures.

Stakeholders are now urging the government to take decisive action, including a full audit of TNVS and motorcycle taxi platforms, stricter penalties for overboarding and non-compliance, public disclosure of enforcement data, and the use of technology-driven verification systems.

As transport services remain vital to daily mobility and economic activity, experts emphasize that restoring discipline in the sector is critical.

They warned that failure to act risks allowing illegal operations and overboarding to become the norm further eroding public trust in the country’s transport system. NEIL ALCOBER