Uber cabs suspended for a month in Philippines

Manila : The Philippines government on Monday ordered US company Uber to suspend its operations in the country for a month for continuing to accredit new drivers despite being ordered by the government to stop.

The transportation network company, which has a strong presence in the Philippines market, must halt the operation of its online booking application for a month starting Monday, the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board was quoted as saying by Efe news.

The measure comes after the state body ordered Uber on June 26 to stop accrediting new drivers amid attempts to regulate the thriving private sector transport industry in the country, where public transportation is poor.

Out of the approximately 120,000 private transport vehicles (most of which are operated by Uber and Grab) plying on the country's roads, barely 7,000 have proper accreditation.

The state agency's decision created a stir on the social media in the country, where several users complained that the measure could lead to overcrowded taxi services.