Holiday rush? Grab PH optimistic about mobility service reliability

‘Tis the season for festivities, and with it comes the inevitable holiday rush. We all know what that means when it comes to getting around and going to and from events, parties, and family gatherings. Aside from the stress of driving through traffic, there’s also the challenge of finding a parking space.

That’s where mobility services like GrabCar come in. In a recent media event, Ronald Roda, Chief Operating Officer of Grab Philippines said that the superapp is optimistic about the reliability of its mobility services as holiday demand emerges.

By leveraging on its data, platform, and technology, Grab is able to understand and foresee the challenges faced by stakeholders, and therefore take proactive steps in developing solutions that directly address these concerns.

“Every Filipino should be able to partake in the long-lasting holiday festivities with the help and support of Grab’s mobility services,” said Roda.

Historically, there’s a significant increase in demand during the holidays. This month, Grab expects the demand to be at least 20% higher, with a peak of up to +45% in the second and third week of December. To address this, Grab is activating an array of solutions to make sure its current GrabCar fleet is used as efficiently as possible.

Among these solutions is GrabShare. Relaunched in Q1 of 2023, this carpooling service connects passengers headed in the same direction to share one ride. If there’s no match, the passenger gets a GrabCar with a discounted fare through the GrabShare Match Guarantee offer. GrabShare is currently offered in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

Passengers, especially OFWs returning for the holidays, can rely on GrabCar bookings through the GrabAirport feature. Grab collaborated with airport authorities and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to create GrabAirport, an on-demand ride-hailing service with a dedicated Grab fleet specifically for airport pick-ups and drop-offs.

Meanwhile, for passengers who are in a hurry, Grab is introducing Multi-Taxi Type (MTT) booking. This feature allows the platform to search for vehicle allocation from various Grab options like GrabCar Four-Seater, GrabCar Six-Seater, and GrabTaxi. The pilot runs of MTT bookings have shown a significant 20 to 30% reduction in allocation time. This improvement ensures a more reliable and efficient booking experience, especially for time-constrained passengers.

Grab works closely with the LTFRB in growing the current driver pool. This year, following the opening of new slots by LTFRB, Grab was able to grow its fleet by 40%. In time for the Christmas rush, Grab continues to onboard drivers who were able to secure a slot from the most recent pool of 10,200 TNVS franchises issued by LTFRB last August. So far, 4,000 new drivers have been activated.

“While we grow our driver pool to the pre-pandemic number, we are taking proactive steps to ensure a well-balanced platform that delivers on its promise of safety, reliability and convenience even amid seasonal changes in the market landscape,” Roda noted.

Offering an alternative mobility option

Homegrown two-wheel ride-hailing company MOVE IT, with its strategic partnership with Grab, is also well-positioned to help address the demand of holiday commuters for safe, efficient, and honest transportation. 

MOVE IT assures top-notch motorcycle taxi services with its well-trained riders and an impressive 99.999% road safety record. The MOVE IT app, free from lags and crashes, goes beyond industry standards with safety features like Share Your Ride, 24/7 Help Centre, Emergency Response, and Voice Over IP (VOIP) calling.

“This holiday season, our commuters can rely on Tropang MOVE IT for safe, convenient, and cost-effective rides. As a strategic partner of Grab, also deep-seated in our DNA is customer-centricity, pushing us to always deliver on our promise of honest and dependable transportation for every passenger,” shared MOVE IT General Manager Wayne Jacinto. 

To meet demands efficiently, MOVE IT uses the Back-to-Back Booking feature in its Driver App. This allows rider-partners to accept a new booking while completing an ongoing one, maximizing their online hours. Currently, riders can complete up to four rides per hour using this technology.