In the Philippines, just like with
the rest of Southeast Asia and the world, people are gradually and in
increasing numbers appreciating the sheer convenience in availing of
ride-hailing services. Being able to contact a ready vehicle for transport via
online apps has made travelling in large cities so much easier. But like with
the rest of the region, the Philippines has some stringent regulations that all
members of the transport network vehicle service (TNVS) industry must follow.
However a recent prohibition on vehicle class has spurred ride-hailing drivers
to perform a “transport holiday” this week in protest. But the major ride-hail
platforms do not believe the effects were significant.
ABS-CBN News reports that the estimated 30,000 TNVS drivers who participated
in the one-day transport holiday protest wherein they would go offline Monday,
July 8, did not seem to paralyze the industry as they might have hoped. This is
the opinion of major ride-hail provider Grab, which stated that despite the
number of Grab drivers that joined in the protest, Grab app users in the
country did not experience any "extraordinary difficulties in getting
rides."
To elaborate, Grab public affairs
manager Jenicka Hosaka noted that in Metro Manila at least, there were still
enough TNVS drivers who decided to work on the Monday transport holiday,
meaning the ride-hail service remained able to serve all booking requests
submitted by app-using passengers. She adds that the company, founded and
headquartered in Singapore, can commiserate with the feelings of many of its
drivers that have been chafing under the complicated TNVS permit application
process, perceived as the government’s sop to traditional taxi companies and
their operators and drivers. The latest straw however has been the newly
announced ban on using hatchback cars as ride-hailing vehicles, annoying TVNS
drivers that find the design more utilitarian than a taxi-use sedan.
The ride-hailing transport
holiday was first announced in July 4 last week by protesting TNVS drivers
represented by the Lawyers for Community Safety and Function. Spokesperson
Ariel Inton had remarked that the act of going offline was a call for action
over the “oppressive” rules being levied on the primary workers of their
employment sector. The protesters even apologized for their projected
convenience and justified their action with the argument that over-regulation
of TNVS in the Philippines will inevitably strangle the drivers financially.
Grab meanwhile has asked their drivers and those of other ride-hailing
operators in the country to resume dialogue with the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to find a less confrontational
solution to their ongoing conflict.
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