Poe urges LTFRB to hasten action vs ride-hailing priority booking fees  

A SENATOR on Monday called on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to act fast against ride-hailing companies that implement a priority booking fee scheme, an illegal practice. 

“Our people deserve equal access to public transportation services without discrimination,” Senator Mary Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, who chairs the Senate Public Services Committee, said in a statement.  

She said the LTFRB “must stand its ground against any illegal priority booking fee that can unduly select a passenger who can pay extra over another.”  

LTFRB Executive Director Maria Kristina E. Cassion last week said they are already evaluating the sanctions that could be imposed against JoyRide Ecommerce Technologies Corp. (JoyRide), which was reported to be imposing extra fees for priority booking through their app.    

“We expect the agency to expeditiously address all challenges to ensure that no such mechanism can victimize our hapless commuters,” the senator said.  

JoyRide has explained that the priority charge is an “optional fee” that customers can pay.  

“It is an industry practice in case a customer would like to tip or incentivize a driver-partner in advance,” JoyRide Senior Vice-President for Corporate Affairs Jose Emmanuel M. Eala had said, assuring that they are “compliant with the fare structure set by the LTFRB guidelines.” — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan