Friday, March 29, 2024

Uber seeks its first global legal permit as ?TNC? in PH

Although it seemed like that it was only complying with an order from the Philippine government, Uber?s act of applying for registration on Aug. 17 as a TNC or transport network company marked a major milestone as this is the first time that the US-based firm is applying for accreditation.

Uber Southeast Asia GM Michael Brown during the recent SlingShot MNL startup confab
Uber Southeast Asia GM Michael Brown during the recent SlingShot MNL startup confab

This is because the Philippines is the first country in the world ? even ahead of the US ? in adopting a legal framework for ride-sharing apps like Uber and GrabCar. Elsewhere in the globe, governments are struggling to cope with the disruption caused by the Internet-based firms in the transportation sector.

The country?s implementation of an acceptable accreditation scheme for ride-sharing vehicles even pushed a top regional executive of Uber to commend the Philippines for its trailblazing effort to legalize online-based car booking.

Michael Brown, Uber?s Southeast Asia general manager based in Singapore, said during the recent SlingShot MNL startup conference organized by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) that the Philippines deserves to be recognized for its forward-looking approach on technology innovations.

But while Uber was ecstatic on the new accreditation rules, it did not know what legal entity to use for registration purposes, unlike its regional rival GrabCar which was able to secure its accreditation papers about three months after the guidelines came out.

Last Monday?s filing, however, appears to have resolved the issue as Uber?s local operations finally completed its documentation requirements while at the same time introducing its first local general manager, Laurence Cua.

In a statement, Cua said that while there was a heated debate about the deadlines imposed by the authorities, it was in fact working with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOST) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) regarding the submission of its accreditation credentials.

“Today, we can confirm that Uber’s application has been submitted and has been well received by the authorities,? Cua said.

?Since the beginning, Uber has always had one goal — to provide access to reliable, affordable, and safe transportation options anytime and anywhere to all Filipinos at the push of a button and we look forward to the continued support and leadership of the government of the Philippines in achieving this.?

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