EDITORIAL - Improving mass transportation

The system has been in place for many years in several countries: you call a cab by smartphone, track its approach and enjoy a comfortable ride to your destination. In the case of Uber, you can ask for a luxury vehicle if you’re willing to pay the additional fare.

The Uber service, provided by a San Francisco-based company, has been embraced by both regular commuters and motorists who have been waiting for an efficient public transportation alternative to driving their own cars in the traffic-choked streets of Metro Manila. Uber charges an average base fare of P40, with an additional P2 per minute or P5.70 per kilometer.

People had earlier welcomed services on ordinary taxis that can also be booked through smartphone apps, such as Grab Taxi and Easy Taxi. No need to jostle with other passengers for a ride or wait in the rain for an unoccupied cab to pass by, or argue with cabbies who refuse to go to certain destinations.

Passenger assessments of the new taxi services have been generally positive. The only problem: the new services are operating without franchises from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. Apart from losing the required franchising fees, the LTFRB has pointed out – with some basis – that unregulated transportation services could endanger passengers’ lives and property.

On the other hand, LTFRB regulation has not prevented drivers of taxis with valid franchises from robbing passengers including foreigners – as South Koreans and Japanese will attest.

The popularity of the new taxi services is due to the efficiency and comfort that regular cabs have failed to offer. When Uber was starting out, its regional officer said such services are the answer to the “carmageddon” in congested cities. The service could actually reduce the number of private cars in the streets of Metro Manila, which will be good for traffic and the environment.

Transport officials, notorious for their inefficiency and slow action on problems, should quickly draw up rules to regulate the operations of the new taxi services, without forcing them to close shop due to unreasonable impositions and a ton of red tape. At the same time, the government must open its mind to innovative approaches and encourage the expansion of more efficient mass transportation services.