Thousands of additional ride-hailing vehicles are set to enter the transport market in three Luzon regions, with the government using the expansion to accelerate the shift toward electric mobility.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board approved 8,750 new Transport Network Vehicle Service slots covering Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region and Bicol after assessing passenger demand and existing transport capacity.
Metro Manila accounted for 7,500 of the new slots. Unlike the allocations outside the capital, the entire NCR batch will be limited to battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
This means conventional gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles, as well as hybrid vehicles that are not classified as plug-in hybrids, cannot apply for the NCR slots. Eligibility will depend on the vehicle classification reflected in Land Transportation Office records and relevant government regulations.
Outside Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region was allotted 650 additional slots. Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union will each have 150, divided equally between internal combustion and non-internal combustion vehicles. Pangasinan will have 200 slots, likewise split evenly between the two categories.
Bicol will gain another 600 TNVS slots, with 300 set aside for electric vehicles. The regional allocations allow a mix of vehicle technologies while maintaining an electric component.
Acting LTFRB Chair Greg Pua Jr. said studies of transport conditions showed that the existing number of TNVS units was insufficient for the geographic coverage and growing commuter volume in the three regions. The agency also considered stakeholder feedback and increased activity in tourism, commerce, government and expanding urban centers.
The additional franchises will not become available immediately. LTFRB said applications will open only after the corresponding memorandum circulars have been published in a newspaper of general circulation.