THE commuter group Coalition of Filipino Commuters (CFC) has asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to implement a uniform application of government mandated discounts for students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities across all digital ride hailing platforms under Transport Network Companies (TNCs).
The CFC said the lack of standards and oversight in discount implementation has made it more challenging for Filipino students, senior citizens, and PWD commuters to access the markdown.
In stressed that the inconsistency in the implementation not only hampers the intended financial relief but also complicates the verification process, potentially leading to fraudulent claims that could adversely affect driver earnings.
CFC made the statement amid numerous complaints from concerned passengers that ride-hail-
ing services in the Philippines — including Grab Philippines, InDrive, Angkas, Maxim, Joyride, and MOVE IT— have been implementing the discounts in various means.
Some platforms even allegedly do not offer the discounts on their apps altogether, which the CFC said constitutes a flagrant violation of the law and an exploitation of commuters.
As digital ride-hailing continues to gain traction in the Philippines, the CFC stressed there is an urgent need for the LTFRB to scrutinize all ride-hailing platforms meticulously.
It said that by spearheading the standardization of discount applications, the LTFRB can ensure equitable access to mandated discounts and uphold the rights of Filipino commuters.
The LTFRB has refused to comment on the issue during a press time on Friday.
