Senate to pursue hearings on ride-hailing services for transport law

SENATOR GRACE S. Poe-Llamanzares on Wednesday said measures on ride-hailing services must include competition provisions to ensure enough supply of vehicles and prevent monopoly in the industry following the Grab-Uber merger. “There are those who take unpleasant steps like monopolizing the industry so it’s good that many (transport network companies) are applying because competition is important. That needs to be in the law: how many (transport network vehicle services) we will allow in our roads, if we are going to add different modes of transportation,” she said in a radio interview. With the resumption of Senate sessions next week, Ms. Llamanzares, chair of the committee on public services said, she would continue hearings on ride-hailing services in order to craft a bill on the transportation sector. She also noted that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has yet to submit its data on TNVS to the committee. — Camille A. Aguinaldo