Grab Philippines is setting its sights on surpassing last year’s holiday performance, with a focus on enhancing the reliability, accessibility, and safety of its services during peak times. According to Country Head Ronald Roda, the superapp has been developing a comprehensive strategy to meet the significant surge in demand expected in November and December.
Historical data shows that Grab Philippines experiences at least a 19% increase in daily transacting users for its ride-hailing services every fourth quarter, with ride-hailing bookings peaking by 45% in mid-December. The demand for deliveries also rises around 20% on key holiday dates, and a recent survey revealed that 44% of Grab users rely on the app for festive meal deliveries.
“Our data and studies all lead to a singular insight: Filipinos just wish to be present this Christmas—fully engaged with families and friends as they celebrate the most beloved holiday,” said Roda. “Grab aims to bring our kababayans much closer to their loved ones, and help them create special moments this holiday season.”
In anticipation of the holiday rush, Grab Philippines began preparations as early as January. This year-long process has involved extensive coordination with regulators, including the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), to balance supply with demand. Following the release of new TNVS slots in August, Grab has been onboarding additional driver-partners, a process that can take up to three to five months.
Grab is also looking after the potential impact of holiday-induced traffic congestion on the earnings and productivity of driver-partners. During December’s holiday rush, drivers typically spend about 14% more time on the road for the same trip distance due to traffic.
“While we continue to prioritize the accessibility of our services, we are also closely monitoring the fairness of our fares to ensure that our driver-partners can earn sustainably and viably this holiday season. By ensuring this, we hope to encourage more drivers to continue serving our passengers in spite of the traffic situation, helping maintain service reliability on our platform,” Roda noted.
Grab assures users that fares will remain fair, following LTFRB guidelines. To maintain the accessibility of its ride-hailing services, Grab has expanded its GrabUnlimited subscription, which now offer an 8% daily discount on GrabCar rides. Additionally, Grab introduced GrabCar Saver, a more affordable ride option than the standard GrabCar service.
It also recently launched its Group Rides feature, allowing up to four people to share a ride and split the base fare, which helps reduce costs and make better use of its fleet.
The company is also investing in technology to improve service reliability and user experience. Leading to the holidays, Grab has introduced several new features including Advance Booking, which guarantees on-time rides to the airport that can be booked up to seven days in advance.
There’s also the GrabFood Group Order feature that allows families and friends to place group orders with discounts of up to 15% as more people join in; GrabFood Saver, which cuts delivery fees; and the Large Orders option that lets users order bigger quantities for group celebrations with special deals.
