• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) are again reminded to strictly observe the fare discount, especially to students, even on weekends or during class suspensions.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson, Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, said he has received complaints that some PUVs do not honor the 20-percent fare discount during long weekends and recent class suspensions.
“The law is very clear about this. There must be a discount to students, even during holidays, for as long as they are enrolled,” Mendoza said in a statement Nov. 19, referring to Republic Act 11314, or the grant of student fare discount privileges on public transportation.
Section 4 of the law states that the fare discount granted…shall be available during the entire period while the student is enrolled, including weekends and holidays.
“So, we are reminding the operators and drivers again to strictly follow the law. Kung wala man kayong anak o kamag-anak na estudyante, lahat tayo dumaan sa buhay estudyante,” Mendoza stressed in the statement.
Under the law, the maximum penalty for a violator is three-month suspension of the driver’s license, and P1,000 fine for each offense.
The operator, on the other hand, faces a maximum fine of P15,000, and revocation of the Certificate of Public Convenience, the LTFRB said.
Mendoza said complaints can be aired through the LTFRB hotline 0956-761-0739, or through its social media accounts. “All you have to do is to properly document it and we will take care of the rest.”
He also issued a similar call to other beneficiaries of the fare discounts, like senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Mendoza, meanwhile, said they will deploy more “mystery riders” following complaints on widespread franchise violations in the transport network vehicle service (TNVS).
“We investigated based on the complaints that we have been receiving and we have been monitoring from the social media. And we were able to confirm the violations, through our mystery riders, that include operating the units even without the franchise and provisional authority from us,” Mendoza said.
The “tempo” modus was also discovered, where TNVS were being issued with temporary permits allegedly for regular fees, and that transport network companies (TNCs) are allegedly condoning the illegal activity by including the TNVS in their online service apps even without proper permits from the LTFRB.
Mendoza vowed to expedite the processing of all franchise applications for TNVS which have been pending for months now, and to put a stop to the practice of issuing temporary permits, which some transport groups alleged to be a source of corruption in the agency. | CGC
