The untapped impact: Struggles and subsequent condition of Metro Manila taxi industry amid operations of Transport Network Companies

Abstract

In 2015, Transport Network Companies (TNC) such as Grab and Uber were introduced in the Philippines. With the worsening traffic management system in the country, TNC units use the power of an application to cater the commuting needs and demands of the Filipino commuting public following a car-sharing principle. Taking into account their startup success, the conventional taxi industry has been struggling. On this basis, this phenomenological study therefore involves an in-depth understanding of the struggles and subsequent condition of the taxi industry amid operations of TNCs. With the use of snowball and convenience sampling, the study involved semi-structured interviews with drivers of conventional taxi, commuters, and the Philippines' Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) members to obtain perspectives from the regulating body. Employing Billups’(2016) qualitative data analysis method, six themes emerged including Effects of Transport Network Companies, Protests and Complaints of Taxi Drivers, Consequent Actions of Taxi Drivers due to Income Reduction, Motivations for Taxi Driving Business Continuity, Perceptions of Taxi Drivers on TNVS, and Commuter Perspective on both Transport Services. Based on the findings, it is concluded that since the TNCs introduction, the conventional taxi industry has been bombarded of varied issues relating to the quality of transport service they provide in terms of convenience, comfort and ease, affordability, and accessibility. These findings then translate to the need of a partial deregulation that involves amendments on some memorandum circulars, and the pioneered Code of Ethics for the entire Philippine Taxi Industry so as to sustain and correspondingly compete with TNCs in relation to the demands of the market.