Philippines Gives Uber Its First Legal Framework To Operate In Asia

An anonymous reader writes: The Philippines has given Uber a rare boost in its hard-fought Asian territories, by granting new legislation that provides rules within which it may legally operate. To this end the country's Department of Transportation and Communications has created a new category of ride called the Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) classification — whilst at the same time mollifying beleaguered indigenous taxi-services by creating an equivalent classification for an app-hailed taxi able to accept credit cards. As with all its other negotiations in Asia, the fruits of Uber's consultation with the Philippine government was prefaced by unorganized invasion, trade complaints, bans and general conflict.

Comments

Provides rules?

[Nidi62]

Uber is given rules within which they can operate in pretty much every state they have gone into. They have just simply decided to ignore those rules in most cases. Any time Uber is barred from operating in a city/state is completely of their own doing.

Uber-Jeepney?

[G-Man]

Seems like a natural fit for the Philippines, given the blessed anarchy of the Jeepney:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...

Disclaimer: I spent a couple of years in the Philippines as a child, but haven't been back in decades. So Jeepneys may not be as widespread/chaotic as I remember.

Re:Uber-Jeepney?

[jblues]

Seems like a natural fit for the Philippines, given the blessed anarchy of the Jeepney:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...

Disclaimer: I spent a couple of years in the Philippines as a child, but haven't been back in decades. So Jeepneys may not be as widespread/chaotic as I remember.

Oh there's still literally millions of them, most with very poorly tuned engines belching out smoke and driving chaotically with no indicators. While I love the idea of an elastic, demand based, self adjusting dispatch system for mass transit, I'm not sure how Über would help in the Jeepney probelm. There's usually such a demand for jeeps, that it takes less than a minute or two to catch a ride. They drive well-defined routes with a regulated fee, and transfer from residential areas onto these thoroughfares is done by tricycles. I think it would be better to concentrate on:

• * Get the tricycles to use well-tuned, and definitely not two-stroke engines, and drive safely. Progress is being made here.
• * Using well maintained, less polluting Jeeps. There are standards for this but they are not enforced. Its easy to bribe your way through a smoke belching test.
• * Having Jeeps stop only at dedicated bus-stops, instead of suddenly and randomly halting anywhere. So as not to hold up other traffic, including other jeepneys
• * Where appropriate using larger buses, instead of mini-bus sized vehicles.
• * Improve comfort to encourage people who use private vehicles to instead take public transport.

As freeways are being built, some of the long jeepney routes are being replaced with air-conditioned buses. And the rail network is improving. While there's a huge demand for public transport, there's also massive private vehicle congestion. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, which is about the same size as Metro Manila (somewhat larger actually), you can walk less then 200 meters to catch a high-speed train. Amazing.

Re:But then...

[pete6677]

That's not a bad thing. Cab Mafias are the same worldwide, and are in bad need of technological crushing.

Framework already existed

[tompaulco]

What a waste of time. The framework already existed for Uber to operate, Uber just chose to illegally ignore it.
So now, I suppose that the legitimate taxi operators who had to front money for licensing and insurance can expect some sort of reimbursement for all of those fees. Alternatively, I guess the legitimate taxi operators can develop an app for hailing a cab and then suddenly they don't have to have permits, licensing or insurance.

Re:Huh?

[tshawkins]

Example case

http://www.wheninmanila.com/uk...

Direct democracies

[DrYak]

Why do it this way? Because the only way to change the rules is to break them thus getting the attention of the rule makers...

Nope. No.
Some of the jurisdiction in which Uber is trying to enter market are pure direct democracies. (e.g.: Switzerland).
The proper procedure there for *anyone* (that even includes Uber) wanting to change any law, is to gather the necessary number of signatures and then submit their new law project to public voting.
Changing the law there - if indeed the law is as unfair as said - is the easiest possible thing to do.
But Uber instead acts stupid.

You think the taxi lobby in would be willing to allow TNVS under any other circumstances?

- in direct democracies, the voting population gets the final say on anything. Lobbies don't have much power.
- in other countries where Uber has been, there aren't very power taxi lobbies in place.