The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) urged commuters to be active in reporting drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) that refuse to accommodate passengers as the lack of complaints further encourages similar actions.
Regulatory board Chairman Atty. Vigor Mendoza said that the issue with PUV drivers that carry out behaviors that do not constitute commuter welfare could only be resolved with the help of the public that utilize the service themselves.
“The complaints that passengers send to us serve as the information that we will work on to impose discipline and ensure that both PUV operators and drivers are strictly following rules and regulation,” Mendoza said.
The call of the LTFRB chief supposedly stemmed from his own experience where he came across a ride-hailing service driver that declined the onboarding of passengers around an area in Metro Manila.
Mendoza noted that such refusal equated to a violation under Section IV of Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01 which indicates the “refusal to render service to the public or convey passenger to destination.”
Under the said regulation, a driver found to commit the act could be subjected to fines ranging from P5,000 to P15,000 and the cancellation of their Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).
Both the driver and their operator were subsequently issued with show cause orders (SCO) and mandated to submit verified explanations on why their license should not be revoked because of the incident.
Mendoza reiterated his calls on the public to exhaust all means including the use of social media to hold drivers that go against laid out regulations accountable for their actions, ensuring prompt response on the part of the LTFRB.
“Let us work together not only to keep our roads safe but in ensuring that passenger rights and protection are respected and observed,” he said.