The government said on Friday, Dec. 4, that it will exhaust all available legal remedies to ensure the continuity of online ride-sharing services this holidays season after a Quezon City court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Uber and GrabCar.
The TRO, order by Branch 217 of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, has created a confusion among the commuting public as well as Uber and GrabCar operators.
As of posting time, it is not yet clear whether the TRO covers all existing Uber and GrabCar partners or if it merely stops the processing of new and pending applications for a franchise (in the form of a provisional authority and certificate of public convenience).
The court?s TRO suspends for 20 days the implementation of DOTC?s Dept. Order No. 2015-011 and LTFRB?s Memorandum circular Nos. 2015-015 to 018, which are regulations that cover the accreditation of TNCs (transport network companies such as Uber and Grab) and issuance of franchises to TNVS (transportation network vehicle service).
?[The] LTFRB and DOTC will confer with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to determine the best legal remedy to ensure continuity of the services of TNVs especially this Christmas holidays,? the LTFRB said in a press statement.
The agency said the accreditation of the ride-sharing apps were issued to provide ?commuters a safe, efficient and convenient means of transportation.?
David Plouffe, Uber?s strategic adviser, mentioned in the recent APEC meeting that the Philippines was the first country to provide a legal regulatory framework for online-enabled transportation services.
