Grab PH urges LTFRB to allow more drivers (Sabong News)
Author
Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Date
APRIL 28 2022
Grab, the country’s dominant ride-hailing company, has urged the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to allow more accredited drivers on rising demand following the full reopening of the economy.
“Life is going back to normal, and more Filipinos are going out and taking GrabCar for their everyday commute,” said Grab Philippines in a statement.
According to Grab, the prolonged suspension of ride-hailing during the height of the lockdowns forced thousands of Grab Car driver-partners to give up their cars, or look for alternative income opportunities elsewhere.
“This situation has created a serious imbalance in GrabCar’s supply and demand condition, resulting in fewer GrabCar driver-partners on the road having to serve an ever-increasing number of passengers,” Grab said.
Transport network vehicle service (TNVS) supply is determined and controlled by the LTFRB as the chief regulator, and TNCs, such as Grab, are required to abide by their guidelines.
“Even if Grab wanted to accept new driver-partners to meet the increasing demand, only those vehicles licensed by the LTFRB are allowed to be on the platform,” said Grab.
The TNC said it is working with LTFRB to onboard more TNVS drivers on the platform. Last April 12, Grab was notified that LTFRB will open a batch of almost 8,000 TNVS slots on April 18 through the TNVS online portal.
As soon as the LTFRB TNVS online portal is ready to accept TNVS driver sign-ups, Grab said it expects additional TNVS drivers to be on the road in 2-3 months’ time after completing the LTFRB-mandated onboarding procedures.
According to Grab, the additional TNVS slots are not enough to meet the increasing demand for GrabCar. Thus, Grab has urged LTFRB to add more TNVS slots to better serve the needs of the riding public.
“Over the years, we have worked very closely with our government partners and regulators, because safe and reliable transportation is key to bringing our economy back on track. Rest assured that Grab Philippines remains fully committed to providing safe and reliable transport solutions to many Filipinos, and helping bring our economy back on track,” the statement concluded.
