DRIVERS of transport network vehicle services (TNVS) demanded greater transparency and accountability from their companies as they disputed claims on fare implementation and flagged concerns over commissions being deducted from their earnings during Wednesday’s hearing before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
One transport network company committed during the hearing to comply with the fare adjustment ordered by the LTFRB while a major industry player maintained that it had already implemented the required pickup fare.
TNVS Community Philippines (TCP) chairman Walter Lugay Uy, however, contested the latter’s assertion, saying the prescribed P15-per-kilometer pickup fare had not been carried out as intended.
Rather than computing the pickup component at P15 for every kilometer traveled to reach a passenger, the amount reflected for drivers was effectively fixed at P15 — regardless of the actual pickup distance, Uy said.
“If the rate is set at P15 per kilometer, it cannot be just P15 no matter how many kilometers the pickup takes. Every kilometer matters greatly to the driver, because we bear the cost of fuel and time even before the actual trip begins,” he told the hearing called by the LTFRB.
During the same hearing, Uy raised a grievance among TNVS drivers: the level and inconsistency of commissions deducted from their earnings.
He then called for greater transparency on how much platforms collect from every booking and how much ultimately reaches drivers.
“We are not saying the platform has no right to earn. But it must be clear and fair. If the commission keeps changing and is excessively high, the driver needs to understand how it is computed and why so much is being deducted from their earnings,” the TCP head said.
His group said the hearing underscored why drivers need a stronger voice in regulatory proceedings that directly affect their livelihood.
The group stressed that the fare controversy was not an isolated concern. Drivers have previously raised issues involving overboarding, unauthorized or so-called tempo operations, commissions and deductions, and suspension or deactivation practices, it added.
“These concerns, together with the latest questions over fare implementation, point to a broader need to examine platform compliance and accountability across the TNVS industry,” Uy said.
Drivers should not have to repeatedly raise the same fundamental concern before regulators: whether the rules imposed on the industry are being enforced consistently — not only against individual drivers, but also against the platforms themselves, Uy said.
“When a driver fails to comply, suspension and various consequences come swiftly. All we are asking is for the same standard to apply to everyone,” he said.
Vowing to closely cooperate with the concerned government agencies, particularly LTFRB, Uy said his group will continue pushing for clearer implementation of fare rules, greater transparency in commissions and deductions, and stronger accountability across the TNVS industry.
