Latest news with #LTFRB
GMA Network
22-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Move It calls for immediate reversal of order slashing its fleet
Motorcycle taxi-hailing firm Move It on Thursday urged the Motorcycle Taxi Technical Working Group (MCT-TWG) to immediately overturn a recent order that slashed its fleet of rider-partners. In a statement, Move It said it filed a supplemental appeal on May 22 regarding its motion for reconsideration. Filed last month, the motion asks the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-led MCT-TWG to stay the implementation of its April 2025 order to reduce the Move It fleet by 7,826 units. According to the LTFRB order, Move It has 14,662 riders, which is beyond its 6,836 allocation. The LTFRB also suspended the motorcycle taxi service's operations in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. In its appeal, Move It wants the agency to "formally declare that the motorcycle taxi company has a right to operate with 14,000 riders, including in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro." The ride-hailing company warned that continued "inaction" on its appeal "could result in the layoff of more than 14,000 riders and could be detrimental to thousands of commuters, particularly in the face of the scheduled rehabilitation of EDSA next month." "It is both arbitrary and unjust for the Honorable MCT-TWG to base a decision—one that effectively obliterates up to 14,000 jobs—on a single 'hearing' conducted solely by the Secretariat, without the presence of the Chairman, Vice Chairperson, the five other members of the Honorable MCT-TWG, and, most critically, without the participation of the directly affected parties, Move It and the riders," it said. GMA News Online reached out to LTFRB Teofilo Guadiz III, no response yet has been received as of posting. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon earlier said the order slashing the Move It fleet will not be implemented for now as the company has already filed a motion for reconsideration with the LTFRB. Move It said the order "also equates to more than 14,000 families which are in danger of losing a source of income and users who stand to lose another option for cost-efficient, safe and convenient transportation." The ride-hailing firm clarified that it does not question the MCT-TWG's authority to regulate the motorcycle taxi sector, but stressed that "the power of regulation should be exercised in accordance with the tenets of due process as mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution, wherein '[n]o person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law...'" "The enforcement of the order–which was issued in flagrant violation of the right to due process–will displace almost 7,000 riders in Metro Manila, 3,000 in Cebu, and 3,000 in CDO who depend on Move It for their livelihood," said Move It. "Any further delay in the resolution of the motion will not just affect 14,000 riders and their families, but also the riding public, for whom the MCT pilot study was contemplated and envisioned," it said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Gulf News
05-05-2025
- Gulf News
Philippines: Drug test every 3 months ordered for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers
Manila: In a major policy shift, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) has mandated quarterly drug testing for all public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and reduced their maximum continuous driving hours from six to four. The new directives were issued through a series of department orders signed on Monday by Philippine Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, following a spate of deadly accidents involving PUVs. The move, according to Dizon, is part of a broader initiative to restore public confidence in road safety. 'Today, I signed a department order mandating drug testing for all drivers of public conveyance vehicles. That means all public utility vehicle drivers are required to undergo mandatory drug testing,' Dizon announced during a media briefing. Replacement drivers In addition to the drug testing requirement, the policy now requires replacement drivers — not conductors — to take over during trips that exceed four hours. The DoTr's attached agencies — the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) — have also been directed to coordinate efforts in enforcing stricter roadworthiness inspections and enhancing driver training programs. 'People do not feel safe on our streets — that is the reality, the sad reality. And I've been directed by the President to fix it,' Dizon said. 'Let's not fool ourselves — we all know that roadworthiness checks here aren't really being done properly.' NAIA crash The department is also moving to investigate the online circulation of CCTV footage from a recent crash near Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, which left two people dead and four others injured. Authorities have been instructed to review the social media accounts of those who posted videos of the incident, which involved a car crashing into a crowd near the terminal entrance. 'Don't take advantage of our fellow citizens' tragedies by posting videos of those tragedies online just to earn money or get a scoop,' Dizon said in a Facebook post. SCTEX tragedy The crackdown follows a deadly multi-vehicle pileup on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) on May 1, which claimed 12 lives and injured at least 27 others. The LTFRB has since announced that ₱400,000 in financial aid will be provided to the families of each deceased victim. As a result of the SCTEX crash, the LTFRB has imposed a 30-day suspension on Dagupan Bus Co., whose unit, operated by its subsidiary Solid North Transit Inc., was involved in the collision at the toll plaza. Dagupan Bus Co. is now under the ownership of JAC Liner Inc. President vows reforms President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also to implement reforms in the country's transport system and ensure accountability for recent tragic vehicular accidents. In a video message posted on social media, President Marcos expressed sympathy to the families of those who died and were injured in the recent tragedies at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) toll plaza and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1. 'Ten lives were lost in a devastating collision in Tarlac. Days later, two more—one of them a child—were taken in a tragic accident at the airport. These incidents should never have happened,' President Marcos said. 'We will make the changes that need to be made. We will demand accountability where it is due. And we will build a transport system that truly protects Filipino people.' Nationwide audit to ensure compliance The president also vowed to implement reforms that will better safeguard the lives of commuters and travelers. Among the reforms are a thorough review of the driver licensing system to ensure that only fit, capable, and responsible individuals are allowed on the roads, and a nationwide audit of bus operators to ensure compliance with safety and maintenance standards. Senate Support Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor 'JV' Ejercito expressed support for the new DoTr policies, recalling his authorship of the Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016 (Republic Act 10916) during the 16th Congress. 'The spirit of that law is clear: the safety of our people must always come first, and that we must take proactive and preventive action to avoid speed-related tragedies,' Ejercito said. The latest DoTr directives mark one of the most aggressive responses by the government in recent years to address public concern over transportation safety.
