{"id":221771,"date":"2019-07-07T01:13:26","date_gmt":"2019-07-07T05:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=221771"},"modified":"2019-07-07T01:13:26","modified_gmt":"2019-07-07T05:13:26","slug":"anti-red-tape-body-tnvs-reps-meet-over-hatchback-drivers-woes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/07\/07\/anti-red-tape-body-tnvs-reps-meet-over-hatchback-drivers-woes\/","title":{"rendered":"Anti-red tape body, TNVS reps meet over \u2018hatchback\u2019 drivers woes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
FILE: ARTA-TNVS DIALOGUE. Anti-Red Tape Authority and transport network vehicle services (TNVS) representatives sit down and discuss the issues concerning the LTFRB ban on hatchbacks on Saturday (July 6, 2019). TNVS groups also filed a complaint before the ARTA for alleged delay in the processing of documents by the LTFRB. (Photo by Raymond Carl dela Cruz via PNA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA<\/strong>\u2014The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) began on Saturday a dialogue with transport network vehicle services (TNVS) groups involved in recent pronouncements and policies of the Land Transportation and Franchising Authority (LTFRB) that prohibited hatchback operators and drivers from becoming licensed TNVS.<\/p>\n

Based on a complaint filed by TNVS groups, ARTA Deputy Director General Ernesto Perez said they are mandated to investigate allegations of the groups against the LTFRB and intervene to solve issues of bureaucracy in the government.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there are allegations of delay in the processing of documents, these are included in the mandate of the ARTA to hear complaints from the people,\u201d Perez said in Filipino.<\/p>\n

He said Memorandum Circular (MC) 2018-005, a document issued by the LTFRB and signed by two officials of the board, should allow the registration of hatchbacks as TNVS.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe read a circular approved by the LTFRB on February 2018. And there are no other circulars revoking it. Until such time it is revoked, it should be implemented. Now, if there are TNVS with pending applications following the said circular, it should be acted upon in a timely manner,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n

The MC, signed by former LTFRB Board Members Aileen Lizada and Ronaldo Corpus in 2018 reads: \u201cHatchback units shall be accepted subject to a transition period of three years in order for the peers to recoup their investments.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said it is still too early to render a decision on the matter as only one party to the issue has given its arguments.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not giving a pre-judgment. We\u2019re also not saying who is wrong on this issue. We need to hear both sides of the issue first,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

During the dialogue, Jun de Leon, leader of the Metro Manila Hatchback Community and Laban TNVS, said the ban of the LTFRB on hatchbacks is affecting a large part of the TNVS community.<\/p>\n

He estimated that more than 1,200 drivers and operators are affected by the LTFRB ban.<\/p>\n

\u201cKasama po ang pamilya nila na dito lang kumukuha ng pangkabuhayan<\/em>\u00a0(Their families are also relying on this for their livelihood),\u201d de Leon said.<\/p>\n

More dialogues on the issue<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perez said they have set more dialogues next week with concerned agencies and parties to fully address the issues involving the TNVS and hatchbacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Monday, we will have CSC Commissioner Aileen Lizada with us to have a dialogue with the TNVS. We also invited LTFRB chairperson [Martin] Delgra and Usec. Mark de Leon of the DOTr [Department of Transportation] to join us in our dialogue,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n

He, however, said the LTFRB has formally withdrawn from the dialogue on Saturday and Monday. It will sit down with ARTA, TNVS groups, and other stakeholders on Tuesday (July 9).<\/p>\n

Christian Yamson, executive director of labor group Defend Job Philippines, welcomed the dialogue opened by the ARTA and hoped that the succeeding dialogues will mark the beginning of a better environment for TNVS operators and drivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day,\u00a0pag maayos ang kanilang proseso, na-accredit sila, maraming mga TNVS na maging<\/em>\u00a0available,\u00a0magiging beneficial naman \u2018yan sa<\/em>\u00a0part\u00a0ng mga<\/em>\u00a0consumers (if their process is proper, drivers and operators are accredited, it will all be beneficial to the consumers),\u201d Yamson said.<\/p>\n

Plight of TNVS community<\/strong><\/p>\n

Janina Pineda, president of TNVS group Road Grabbers, welcomed the dialogue with ARTA and other government agencies, calling for an amnesty for all deactivated drivers and operators.<\/p>\n

\u201cGawan ng proseso para hindi naman agad-agad mawalan ng hanap buhay ang mga driver, operator and kanilang pamilya na makaka-apekto sa kanilang mga riders<\/em>\u00a0(A process must be made so that the livelihood of affected drivers, operators and their families must not suddenly disappear),\u201d Pineda said.<\/p>\n

He said the TNVS community request is for the LTFRB to come up with an efficient\u00a0process that will simplify documentary requirements.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarami kasing mga dokumento na umaabot ng libo-libo na nagiging dahilan kung bakit hindi nagpapatuloy ang isang simpleng<\/em>\u00a0operator\u00a0para magpatuloy kumuha ng<\/em>\u00a0permit (Because there are so many required documents, reaching thousands, that become the reason why operators do not continue with the process of securing a permit from the LTFRB),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She added that it could take months before proper documents are released by the LTFRB, noting that TNVS drivers who have filed the proper documents pending a provisional authority (PA) should not be deactivated or fined.<\/p>\n

Pineda said aside from the 5,000 deactivated TNVS, more TNVS drivers fear to go out and serve their clients for fear of being apprehended for colorum operation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many drivers who are offline nowadays. Why? Because they are scared to drive and get fined PHP120,000 to 200,000 if caught as colorum,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

A group of TNVS drivers and operators initially announced a transport holiday on Monday due to alleged \u201cproblematic\u201d policies of the LTFRB.<\/p>\n

Delgra earlier urged the group to consider their clients and the riding public and sit down with the board to air their concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA\u2014The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) began on Saturday a dialogue with transport network vehicle services (TNVS) groups involved in recent …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":221772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-221771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-news-ph","mauthors-raymond-carl-dela-cruz","mauthors-philippine-news-agency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221771"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":221773,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221771\/revisions\/221773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/221772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}