LTFRB’s Uber Problem

I don’t Uber. I think it’s expensive. I think it’s stupid for people to pay that much for a ride, when you can just as easily use GrabTaxi or EasyTaxi to get a cab who won’t charge you exorbitant fees, unless the cab’s just as greedy.

I also read a friend’s post saying that Uber is just as greedy. I don’t think the company’s a saint in any way. And if they refuse to cooperate with the LTFRB, then they deserve what they received; operating under the radar of a government institution isn’t just illegal, it’s also dangerous. There’s no regulating body, which means that if a Uber driver decides to rip you off, you’re in the lurch.

But the problem is, this is the Philippines, and the regulating body in question is the LTFRB, or Lotsa Traffic from Recto to Buendia. These guys don’t know the meaning of the word regulate; they just keep on giving out franchises, and the only people they regulate are the ones who don’t do what they say.

I mean, what have they done with all the taxi abuse cases that have piled up over the years? Nothing. The average person could get mugged on the way home from work while on a cab, and the police will say that it’s a run-of-the-mill case, and the LTFRB can’t do anything because the driver’s on the run, and can’t be properly identified.

Or how about the jeeps that ply the roads of the country day in and day out? Do you really think that there aren’t enough jeeps to cater to the needs of the public? Go to the PUP jeepney stop along Ramon Magsaysay boulevard at any given time of the day, and you’ll see three Cubao-bound jeeps for every thirty seconds. THREE. Some of them aren’t even full.

And I don’t think I even need to mention the big-wheeled buses and trucks. Instead of finding a way for the trucks and buses to travel without causing traffic, the LTFRB blames the local governments for keeping these monsters hemmed in. But dude, how many trucks and buses do we need? How many of these vehicles do you even keep track of?

In other words, LTFRB, what good are you?

Sure, okay. Regulate Uber. You need to do that. But regulate everybody else. This isn’t a democracy wherein only the few should be put to task. If one sector of society has to be tried for their mistakes, then everybody should suffer the same. Just because jeep and bus drivers can’t pay you anything doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your job. Why not put a Php200,000 bounty on cab drivers who smoke-rape women? Or the same for jeepney drivers that regularly cut corners? Or trucks that don’t follow proper protocol?

Seriously, guys. Get your shit together. You’re a national agency riddled with corruption. If you can’t get rid of that stigma, then we’re better off without you, because as of now, you’re completely useless.