7 Reasons Why I Choose to Ride on Grab and Uber in the Philippines
by
manilleVAservices
Some (especially those not in the Philippines) might not be aware what is happening these days between LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) and the hailing ride-sharing services Grab and Uber.
What is Grab and Uber for commuters in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, Grab and Uber have been a part of the publics daily lives. These ride-sharing services provide convenience to the public especially to the students and working class during rush hours, late night, and rainy days. Even foreigners opt to choose Grab and Uber (since Grab and Uber are commonly used in other countries too).
Moreover, Grab and Uber provide safety and good customer service which is why a great percentage of the public prefer them over other modes of transportation in the Philippines (taxi, MRT/LRT, jeepneys, bus, vans). However, the other modes of transportation arent happy about it and they blame Grab and Uber for stealing their passengers.
Why Grab and Uber got penalized by LTFRB:
But for the past weeks, there is an ongoing argument between LTFRB and Grab and Uber about the colorum vehicles (those without PA/ CPC certificates from LTFRB) still being permitted to drive by the said ride-sharing services companies. As a result, LTFRB penalized Grab and Uber an amount of 5 Million Pesos each for violating their regulations. In addition to the penalty, LTFRB had said in a statement that they will also penalize those colorum vehicles that will continue to operate with an amount of 120,000 Pesos.
In a separate article, LTFRB said that they just wanted to prioritize the publics safety and convenience from those colorum vehicles.
BUT the question is, how can the colorum vehicles adhere to the regulation when LTFRB stopped releasing certificate since last year? So even if these colorum vehicles have all the needed requirements, PA/CPC certificates will still not be issued to them.
Yes, Grab and Uber might also be accountable to the speculated violations but what about the public? Its their voice that should be heard by LTFRB too (if they really want to give importance to the publics safety and convenience).
Here are 7 reasons why the public choose Grab and Uber in the Philippines:
Its hassle-free to find a ride. A lot of students and workers wake up early in the morning, like 4 or 5 AM to arrive at school or office on time. With Grab and Uber installed on their devices, they can easily book a ride to their destination without having to wait in line, or wait on the shed while raining. They can book at the comfort of their homes easily, without getting haggard and hassled.
Its safer. I have a lot of friends riding jeepneys, buses, trains, and taxis to go to their offices. In Manila, there are a lot of reckless drivers of public transportation wherein passengers feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Also, there was a time that my friends mom got holdapped by a taxi driver, threatened her with a knife and forced to give her wallet containing all her government IDs, money, and credit cards. After that incident, my friends family bought their own car. But when Grab and Uber started operations, my friends mom tried the said ride-sharing services and so far, she enjoys riding them.
It provides good customer service. Im not saying that Grab and Uber can give you 100% safety because there are also some bully drivers. Yes, there are some drivers who are less professional but thanks to Grab and Uber support, you can easily report and give feedback to the drivers. I myself experienced a bad service once and I reported it immediately. In less than 30 minutes, Uber made a refund and blocked the driver so I will never be able to book him forever. That is what I can say an exemplary customer service.
It saves time. This is a proven testimony of most commuters. Well, trains could have been helpful to fasten the trip of commuters but the problem is that trains get technical problems almost always. There are times that commuters get to walk on the railway after the train got a technical problem. Plus, trains in the Philippines are always crowded you can smell the person beside you. On the other hand, buses,vans and jeepneys have a standard route and thats the reason why theres traffic while Grab and Uber use navigational apps such as Waze where drivers can see where the shorter or faster route is to avoid traffic.
Its comfortable. In the Philippines, Grab and Uber vehicles should be 3 years old or newer. Thats one good deal for the public because they will feel comfortable sitting on a clean and well-maintained vehicle.
Hey, they can give you free rides. Grab and Uber pay it forward to their riders. There are times where they give discount voucher codes or if your refer a new rider, then you can get a discount or free rides on your next trips.
Fare is fair. Upon inputting a pick-up and drop-off location in the app, you can immediately see the upfront fare. So before booking, you already know the estimated fare to pay. There are times that the price might increase due to sudden traffic but other than that, you can rely on the upfront fare you see first. Unlike a number of taxis, there are times that the drivers will ask for additional charge or worse, other drivers turn off their meter and give you a fixed high fare.Also, for foreigners who just arrived from the airport, they prefer booking Grab and Uber rather than the taxis in the airport which sometimes give them an overpriced fare (Why? Because theyre foreigners and some drivers trick them with fares)
A bonus good point for Grab and Uber is that they offer senior citizen and student discounts. Well, other modes of transportation also offer these discounts but not all. Sometimes, it depends on the driver/ conductors mood.
Im not stereotyping the drivers of other modes of transportation. There are still good and kind-hearted drivers who can provide you safety, convenience, and good customer service. Its just that, its not also Grab and Ubers fault why a great percentage of the public choose the hailing ride-sharing services. Good customer service is key why Grab and Ubers business models are a success everywhere. ‘
As of today, theres a news that LTFRB and the ride-sharing services Grab and Uber reached an agreement for a Motion for Reconsideration. It might still be a long process and more discussions will still happen but most commuters are hoping that the issue be resolved immediately.
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Article Source:
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