TNVS coalition calls for fare increase, and improved driver welfare amid crisis

A coalition of transport network vehicle service operators and drivers on Thursday called for the implementation of fare increases across all platforms and improved driver welfare and protection, amid the fuel price hikes caused by the Middle East conflict.

In a statement, TNVS Community Philippines said the government’s cash assistance and fuel subsidy programs were timely and necessary, “but ultimately inadequate in addressing the structural pressures eroding driver earnings.”

“We appreciate the immediate assistance and the move to ease fuel-related costs. These provide real, short-term relief,” said the group led by its chairman, Walter Lugay.

“But repeated fuel shocks over the past several years have made clear that the sector cannot depend on temporary measures alone,” it added.

The coalition said current fare levels no longer reflected operating realities after the planned fare adjustment approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board was suspended.

“The halted adjustment would have raised TNVS base fares by ₱20 across categories, but its suspension left drivers continuing to absorb higher fuel and operating costs amid renewed oil price volatility,” TNVS Community said.

“Timely fare adjustments are essential to keeping the sector viable. Every delay widens the gap between rising costs and what drivers actually take home,” it added.

The coalition called on transport network companies to strengthen safety measures, expand insurance coverage, and provide more consistent incentive structures.

“Fair earnings cannot be separated from fair conditions. Drivers need not only income stability, but also protection, security, and a clear path toward sustainable livelihood, especially as we face this current crisis,” TNVS Community said.

The coalition said the current fuel crisis should serve as a policy inflection point, with repeated price spikes exposing long-standing weaknesses in the transport system.

“This is no longer a one-off issue. It is a pattern,” the group said. “And patterns require policy, not band-aid solutions.”