The Land Transportation and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) should order the refund of the P2-per-minute charge by Grab Philippines, a party-list lawmaker urged on Thursday.
Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles issued the call after the Board ordered the immediate suspension of Grab鈥檚 P2 per minute charge, a component of the transport network company鈥檚 fare structure听since July 2017.听
READ: LTFRB orders Grab to immediately stop P2 per minute of travel charge
It was Nograles who alleged that Grab owes its customers some P3.2 billion for 鈥渋llegally and hideously鈥� implementing the P2 per minute charge.
鈥淲e thank the LTFRB for the suspension of the P2/minute charges that were clearly not approved by the Board and were kept secret from the operators, drivers, and riders,鈥� he said in a statement.
鈥淚 hope that refund for these hidden charges will be ordered soon, as well and that the drivers are spared from paying his refund as they played no part in reprogramming the Grab algorithm to include these secret charges,鈥� he added.
Nograles also warned Grab against passing the refund responsibility to its drivers.
鈥淭he moment that Grab tries to demand the refund from their drivers, I will be the first to file a complaint of large scale estafa and syndicated estafa against Grab Philippines,鈥� he said.
The TNC said that 鈥�80 percent鈥� of the P2-per-minute charge went to their drivers, while the rest was spent on driver incentives and passenger promos.
Grab earlier admitted they 鈥渦nilaterally鈥� implemented the charge, and even claimed that the scheme was allowed under the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board鈥檚 Department Order (DO) 2015-011.
The DO allowed TNCs to set its own fares but with the oversight of the LTFRB.
Grab also said their per minute charges 鈥渞emain part and parcel to Grab鈥檚 fare structure today and we have continuously been transparent about this truth.鈥�
LTFRB鈥檚 resolution came after Chair Martin Delgra III told reporters that in one of their technical working group meetings last year, there were 鈥渄iscussions鈥� about Grab鈥檚 plan to collect a P2-per-minute charge, though without information when it was implemented.
READ:听LTFRB claims Grab鈥檚 P2/minute extra charge is unauthorized
On Wednesday, Grab Country Head Brian Cu said there were no communications made through their application to inform the riders of the charge when they started to implement it.听/je
READ:听Grab PH admits failure to inform riders of P2-per-minute charge听