Institutionalizing the transport network vehicle services (TNVS) will help strengthen passenger protection and further drive advancement in the transportation industry.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said standardizing transport network services will spur the development of transport services and ensure the safety of both the riding public and the driver, as contained in his Senate Bill (SB) No. 817.

“The development of the transport network services industry could also reduce the volume of vehicles on the road and thus help ease traffic congestion especially in metropolitan areas. The proposed measure allows TNVS to offer ridesharing services to help decongest roads,” he said in a news release on Saturday.

A recent study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency showed the country is projected to lose PHP5.4 billion to daily traffic by 2035 if no interventions are made, according to Gatchalian.

While the Department of Transportation has relegated to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board the full authority to regulate and supervise transport network companies (TNCs) and TNVS, Gatchalian said there is a need to institutionalize rules and regulations that would govern the industry.

“Importante para sa pag-unlad ng bansa na mapalago natin ang mga makabagong transport system. Kailangan nating maglagay ng mga mekanismo na magpapaunlad sa industriya kasama ang mga transport network service at magbibigay proteksyon sa mga pasahero (Modern transport systems are key factors in improving the economy. We need to have mechanisms to enhance transport network services and protect commuters),” he said.

SB 817 seeks to define the nature of TNCs and TNVS and clarify their roles as a common carriers.

As TNCs and TNVS are obligated under a contract of carriage once a passenger avails of their service, they cannot evade liability by contending that they are merely a technological platform to connect the passenger with the driver. (PNA)