MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr), in coordination with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), is studying the possible grant of amnesty to Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers currently under “temporary” status after being onboarded beyond the prescribed vehicle cap of Transport Network Companies (TNCs).
The move follows the directive of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that affected drivers can continue earning a living while maintaining regulatory compliance within the transport sector. Transportation Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon (Banoy Lopez) explained that some TNCs exceeded their approved driver and vehicle caps, leading to the onboarding of drivers who are now unable to operate due to regulatory constraints. “The situation is that if drivers are not allowed to be onboarded, they cannot operate. This is not necessarily due to the absence of a franchise, but rather because the onboarding process is controlled by the TNCs,” the Secretary said during a recent news forum. He further emphasized that drivers depend entirely on their platform status to operate. “If you are not onboarded on the platform, you cannot accept trips,” he added.
The DOTr chief also underscored the financial challenges faced by drivers, many of whom have taken out loans to acquire vehicles for TNVS operations. Abruptly removing them from the system, he warned, could result in widespread loan defaults and vehicle foreclosures, potentially worsening the situation. “If we cut them off immediately, many of these vehicles could be foreclosed. That would only create a bigger problem, especially given the current global situation,” he explained, citing external economic pressures. At present, the DOTr and LTFRB are carefully evaluating policy options to arrive at a balanced solution that will safeguard both the welfare of drivers and the integrity of existing transport regulations.
