The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has directed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to freeze the onboarding of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers and motorcycle (MC) taxi drivers amid concerns regarding their sheer volume around the country.

Issues within these public transport sectors arose when the distribution of cash assistance was carried out by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) near the start of the nationwide fuel crisis that stemmed from conflict in the Middle East.

During the distribution, DSWD officials came across thousands of TNVS and MC taxi drivers who were not able to receive their P5,000 cash because they were not included in the list that reportedly came directly from Transport Network Companies (TNCs) and Motorcycle Taxi Platform Providers (MTTPs).

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian labeled these individuals as “tempo” drivers—people who were working for TNCs and MTTPs but did not have a legal franchise under the LTFRB.

Regardless of the finding, Gatchalian explained that they had been instructed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that all these drivers, regardless of their status, would receive aid.

Meanwhile, Marcos ordered Transportation Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez to investigate how the ride-hailing service companies were able to exceed the cap that had been set by their department.

“The orders of the President are clear, we should act on this issue immediately so that drivers and riders would not be placed in uncertainty. It is only right that their onboarding is done legally,” Lopez said in Filipino.

“This illegal system should not continue, we must fix this immediately,” he added.

During a session under the Senate’s Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee, the DOTr chief expressed that he was going to hold TNCs, MTTPs, and even officials from the DOTr and LTFRB liable for exceeding the established cap for drivers.

Lopez noted that their department was also currently looking into what legal repercussions and penalties would be handed down to the companies for the breach in the limit.