GEORGE TOWN: A Philippine court has ordered its public transport agency to suspend all Uber and GrabCar applications as it had affected the livelihood of public service vehicles operators.
According to the Philippines Star news portal, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court today ordered the suspension of the mobile ride-sharing services for 20 days.
The decision comes as a shock as the Philippines had legalised ride-sharing services.
The court, one of highest trial courts in the Philippines, ruled that the applicants, a coalition of public transport operators, had established a 'material and substantial invasion of the rights' of legal public transport operators.
"Their claim that they suffer less or low incomes and earnings is found to be persuasive due to the sudden and uncontrolled increase in the number of Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) utility vehicles running in the streets of Metro Manila," said the news report, quoting the court's resolution on the matter.
The court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Department of Transportation and Communication and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to stop the operations of Uber and GrabCar.
The petition by TRO was made by the Pilipinas Genuine Organisation Transport Coalition.
The TRO includes the stopping of accepting, processing and approving of applications of motor vehicles as public utility vehicles accredited and belonging to TNVS.
The court has scheduled the hearing of the petitioner's application for preliminary injunction on Dec 8.
Philippines was the first country in South East Asia to regulate ride-sharing through TNVS.
In Malaysia, ride-sharing services are illegal under the Land Public Transport Act 2010.