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Angkas, Grab: Issues involving TNVS

January 22, 2020 | 10:36pm
Location: PHILIPPINES, METRO MANILA
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Angkas, Grab: Issues involving TNVS
January 22, 2020

Sen. Koko Pimentel is seeking a probe into the "high-handed, arrogant and irresponsible acts" of Angeline Tham, a Singaporean national whom he claims owns 99.9% of motorcycle hailing company Angkas.

It was Pimentel who endorsed JoyRide, a competitor of Angkas, in September 2019 to Transportation Secretary Tugade purportedly to end the Angkas' "monopoly." The Philippine Competition Commission, however, had said that Angkas is not a monopoly like Grab is in the market. (With report from The STAR/Paolo Romero)

January 20, 2020

Motorcycle taxis will no longer be allowed to operate "maybe a week from now" after the Department of Transportation Technical Working Group announces termination of its study on motorcycle taxi services.

"We just submitted the report to Congress, to the committee on transportation," DOTr-TWG's Antonio Gardiola Jr. tells reporters.

 

December 23, 2019

The Motorcycle Taxi technical working group on Monday evening accused ride-hailing app Angkas of making a public spectacle and "[resorting] to emotional blackmail" over a 10,000-rider cap that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has imposed on motorcycle taxi firms.

In an open letter posted on the Department of Transportation's social media accounts, the TWG disputed Angkas' statement last Saturday that 17,000 of its 27,000 riders would lose their jobs because of the cap.

December 22, 2019

Angkas bikers are holding a protest along White Plains Avenue near EDSA in Quezon City against the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board's decision to cap their authorized riders to 10,000 from 27,000.

Angkas will be sharing an allotment of 39,000 riders with new players JoyRide and MoveIt in 2020.

December 21, 2019

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has decreased the number of Angkas bikers allowed to operate on the road in 2020 to 10,000 from 27,000, the motorcycle taxi firm says.

This will mean a harder time for passengers trying to book rides on the service, which many use as an alternative to commuting and to more expensive services like Grab.

It is also, Angkas points out, "a direct blow to over 17,000 Filipino families."

 

December 18, 2019

Grab says it will disburse before Feb. 10, 2020, some P14.15 million to the GrabPay Wallets of passengers who took rides from May 11 to August 10 this year.

December 18, 2019

The Philippine Competition Commission imposes another fine on Grab, this time amounting to P16.15 million, for price surges, driver cancellations from May to August 2019.

The PCC ordered Grab to give refunds and not to pass on the fines to commuters and drivers. 

— with News5/Gerard de la Peña

July 24, 2019

Angkas officials question the legality of an order banning motorcycles with engine displacement lower than 400cc on Osmeña Highway.

July 19, 2019

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has signed the department order to permanently allow hatchbacks and sub-compact cars Transport Network Vehicle Service vehicles.

The use of hatchbacks was one of the issues raised at a TNVS "holiday" on July 8 to protest Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board policies that groups say are "pahirap" or are a burden for TNVS drivers.

Tugade signs the order a day after the Department of Transportation asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to permanently allow hatchbacks to operate as TNVS.

"In bigger metropolitan areas like London and Tokyo, hatchbacks are allowed to operate as public transport. If first world countries and cities allow it, why can't we?" DOTr Undersecretary Mark De Leon said Thursday.

July 18, 2019

The Department of Transportation asks the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to permanently allow hatchbacks to operate as TNVS.

"In bigger metropolitan areas like London and Tokyo, hatchbacks are allowed to operate as public transport. If first world countries and cities allow it, why can't we?" DOTR Undersecretary is quoted as saying in a tweet by News5's Gerard de la Peña.

 

 

July 8, 2019

The TNVS transport "holiday" has not led to a decrease in the number of its partners on the road during rush hour on Monday, Grab says.

The STAR reports that Grab has said the TNVS groups' plan to go offline from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. has had "no effect" on operations.

"After dialogue with Civil Service Commission, Anti-Red Tape Authority, and Department of Transportation, some transport groups cut short TNVS transport holiday," The STAR's Romina Cabrera also reports. 

July 8, 2019

Transport network vehicle service (TNVS) groups have kicked off a "holiday," where around 35,000 ridesharing drivers are expected to go offline from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in protest of some Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board policies that they say are "pahirap" or are a burden for TNVS drivers.

"Some of the issues that TNVS partners will raise against the LTFRB’s 'pahirap policies' includes inconsistency in its procedural processes in terms of registration and application for TNVS and the complicated high requirements and slow processing of the Board for acquiring and releasing provisional authority (PA) and Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC)," LABAN TNVS says in an advisory on the protest.

The LTFRB last week called on the groups to hold off on the "holiday," and urged them to instead "bring their legitimate concerns to LTFRB, in dialogue, so that the Board can address them and not hold the riding public hostage by their planned disruptive action," LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said last week.

"The LTFRB welcomes constructive criticisms and feedbacks from all stakeholders," he added.

Ride-hailing giant Grab Philippines also made a similar appeal to drivers as it called on "TNVS partners to show utmost restraint before taking actions that could negatively impact the ability of passengers to book rides."
 

June 11, 2019

The LTFRB summons Grab to explain its deactivation of almost 8,000 transport network vehicle service units.

 

 

Grab Philippines President Brian Cu tells LTFRB that only 5,000 drivers were deactivated on June 10 as 3,000 others were able to comply with documentary requirements. 

It adds that it doesn’t have information if those deactivated have secured slots for the new batch of 10,000 franchises up for release. ?— Gerard de la Peña/TV5

June 9, 2019

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board should keep in mind that many transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers are on ride-hailing services only part time, The Passenger Forum says in a statement.

TPF, which identifies as a commuters' network, says the LTFRB cannot call on TNVS drivers to work fulltime to fill demand since that is not their business model.

Primo Morillo, convenor of TPF, says: "We’d like to remind the LTFRB that TNVS are not taxis. They have a different business model which is rooted on the idea to maximize private vehicles for public transportation."

"We have to understand that a large chunk of TNVS drivers are part-time because there are other things that occupy their time, be it work or school. We can’t just suddenly make them resign from their day jobs or stop studying because we need to reach the demand," Morillo also says.

June 4, 2019

At least 8,000 Grab Philippines drivers will no longer be in service next week as the ridesharing company prepares to deactivate their accounts.

Grab Philippines president Brian Cu says the accounts that will be deactivated will be of drivers who have not secured provisional permits from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

"This will reduce the number of vehicles servicing our commuting public, thus inconveniencing many Filipinos," Cu says in a statement.

"This is very painful for us, our drivers, and passengers, but it is Grab's duty to help the LTFRB enforce our regulations," he adds.

About 100,000 rides daily will be affected by the cutdown starting June 10.

New drivers, meanwhile, can apply for 20,000 slots opened by the tranport board last December. New slots will also be opened starting June 10 for 10,000 new driver accounts.

January 25, 2019

Grab Philippines says it will file a motion for reconsideration before the Philippine Competition Commission, which meted out P6.5 million penalty to the ride-sharing service for submitting inaccurate data.

December 20, 2018

The Department of Transportation has some strong words against Angkas, the motorcycle-hailing service, which it accuses of brazenly defying the order of the Supreme Court by launching public opinion campaigns following a court resolution that keeps its riders off the streets.

"The issue is not about the perpetual prohibition of motorcycles from serving as public transport. This is not about depriving the commuting public of an alternative mode of transportation," the DOTr says in a statement.

"Instead, this is a matter of FOLLOWING THE ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT, the same kind of obedience demonstrated by the Government to the preliminary injunction of the LOWER COURT even if that order was not favorable to it," it adds.

December 16, 2018

Riders with hailing service Angkas join a unity ride along EDSA to protest moves by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to arrest them and shut down their operations. 

The unity ride was done to denounce alleged government discrimination of motorcycle riders.

December 12, 2018

Following a Supreme Court TRO, the LTFRB issues a resolution that orders traffic enforcers to apprehend Angkas drivers and impound their motorcycles.

Angkas, meanwhile, continues to release promo codes granting discounts to riders. "It's better to give than to receive! Kung may TRO kami, kayo din meron. Hihi. Two Rides Only," the service's Twitter account announces.

In an official statement earlier today, the motorycle service said its management is "saddened to hear" the high court's halt order, which "comes at a time when hundreds of thousands of commuters need this Angkas service to beat the worsening holiday traffic."

"This TRO also puts the livelihood of 25,000 biker-partners at risk—a few days before Christmas, when their families need it most," said David Medrana, Angkas' head of operations.

December 12, 2018

The Supreme Court released a termporary restraining order on a Mandaluyong court resolution that allowed the operation of motorcycle-sharing service Angkas.

 

September 7, 2018

The Department of Transportation is not happy about the court's halt order on its suspension of motorcycle-sharing service Angkas.

In a joint statement with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the DOTr says it is "saddened by the decision of the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court" as it "keeps the government from interfering whether directly or indirectly, with the operations of Angkas."

"The DOTr-LTFRB, as a regulator, is being faithful to its mandate when it ordered Angkas to cease operations," the statement reads.

The agencies also cited Republic Act 4136 that mandates traffic rules and creates a transportation commission in arguing that motorcycles are not authorized to conduct business and offer public transport.

September 6, 2018

Motorcycle-hailing app and transport service Angkas secures a halt order on its suspension from a Mandaluyong court, allowing its bikers to get back on the road.

Judge Carlos Valenzuela of the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court issued a writ of preliminary injuction dated August 2 effectively puts a stop on the order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Department of Transportation which suspended the service.

Pending further resolution, authorities are ordered not to interfere with Angkas' operations and apprehend its drivers "in lawful pursuit of their trade or occupation."

The service, on its Twitter account known to post humorous reminders and memes, acknowledged the order in its characteristic sarcasm.

September 5, 2018

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board allows Grab Philippines and other ride-hailing firms to charge an extra P2 per minute of travel time.

The Transport Network Vehicle Service community of ridesharing companies holds a noise barrage in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to air grievances.

Around 200 vehicles honked their horns in front of the LTFRB to ask for the return of the P2-per-minute charge, GMA News reports.

LTFRB had questioned Grab for imposing a P2-per-minute charge on its passengers and slapped a P10 million fine against the ride-hailing service firm last July.

Grab had also urged the LTFRB to increase the TNVS common supply base in Metro Manila from 65,000 to 80,500 to address passenger demand.

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