Hatchback drivers slam Grab's limits on their coverage areas
Published Feb 5, 2020 12:00 am
By Alexandria San Juan
Hatchback drivers slammed on Wednesday the restrictions set by ride-sharing firm Grab Philippines limiting their areas of operation to selected central business districts across Metro Manila.
Hatchback owners honk their cars as a protest against grab as they call for the stop of the implementation if its current policy of limiting service area coverages of hatchback and sub-compact units in Central Business District (CBD) areas in Metro Manila on Wednesday in Quezon City. (ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN)
Members of Laban TNVS (Transport Network Vehicle Service), Laban Hatchback, and labor group Defend Job Philippines held a noise barrage as part of its protest against the app's restrictions on where they can operate.
The group also claimed that hatchbacks are being hidden in Grab mobile app's option menu.
In a press conference in Quezon City on Wednesday, leaders of the Hatchback Metro Manila Community have demanded Grab implement government orders and memos on hatchback service areas.
"We call on Grab Philippines to stop the implementation of its current policy of limiting service area coverage of hatchback and sub-compact units to central business district areas in Metro Manila," the group said.
"On the other hand, the government must ensure the implementation of their own existing policies accordingly, including the issue of the limited service areas, and at the same time must mandate Grab Philippines to not be selective in implementing what were stated on government rules and policies," they added.
In 2019, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued separate orders declaring hatchback and sub-compact cars as permanent TNVS units and laid the grounds and specifications of its operations.
These circulars were issued after hatchback drivers and operators staged a series of protests against the LTFRB's plan to phase-out more than 8,000 units.
The group also cited LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2019-042 which identified the operation of hatchback and sub-compact units as "door-to-door services within Metro Manila."
"We believe that giving us area boundaries – which is only at least 40 percent of the total land area of Metro Manila – only restricted us to areas with low fare and traffic-congested places that resulted in the cutting down of our daily take-home profits by almost half of what we have been receiving, higher fuel consumptions, and longer time of travel and pick-up/drop-off periods," the group pointed out.
According to the group, this policy of the transport network company (TNC) is forcibly pushing them away from their livelihoods.
Apart from the limited coverage service areas, the groups are accusing the firm of “hiding GrabCar Hatchback" services from the public in the app.
"We complain this kind of deliberate disenfranchisement against our ranks and demand to the Grab management to put its hatchback services on top of the options in its app platform – where the riding public can see it first – in order to give them the freedom to choose the cheapest alternative commuting service for them," the group added.
They are also calling on other GrabCar hatchback drivers and operators to join in “fighting back against the schemes" they said have been "endangering" their livelihoods.
As part of their continuous opposition against Grab's policy, the group is set to hold a Hatchback Transport Caravan Protest at Grab's main office in Makati City on Monday to also hand over their appeal letter and seek dialogue with officials.
Hatchback owners honk their cars as a protest against grab as they call for the stop of the implementation if its current policy of limiting service area coverages of hatchback and sub-compact units in Central Business District (CBD) areas in Metro Manila on Wednesday in Quezon City. (ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN)
Members of Laban TNVS (Transport Network Vehicle Service), Laban Hatchback, and labor group Defend Job Philippines held a noise barrage as part of its protest against the app's restrictions on where they can operate.
The group also claimed that hatchbacks are being hidden in Grab mobile app's option menu.
In a press conference in Quezon City on Wednesday, leaders of the Hatchback Metro Manila Community have demanded Grab implement government orders and memos on hatchback service areas.
"We call on Grab Philippines to stop the implementation of its current policy of limiting service area coverage of hatchback and sub-compact units to central business district areas in Metro Manila," the group said.
"On the other hand, the government must ensure the implementation of their own existing policies accordingly, including the issue of the limited service areas, and at the same time must mandate Grab Philippines to not be selective in implementing what were stated on government rules and policies," they added.
In 2019, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued separate orders declaring hatchback and sub-compact cars as permanent TNVS units and laid the grounds and specifications of its operations.
These circulars were issued after hatchback drivers and operators staged a series of protests against the LTFRB's plan to phase-out more than 8,000 units.
The group also cited LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2019-042 which identified the operation of hatchback and sub-compact units as "door-to-door services within Metro Manila."
"We believe that giving us area boundaries – which is only at least 40 percent of the total land area of Metro Manila – only restricted us to areas with low fare and traffic-congested places that resulted in the cutting down of our daily take-home profits by almost half of what we have been receiving, higher fuel consumptions, and longer time of travel and pick-up/drop-off periods," the group pointed out.
According to the group, this policy of the transport network company (TNC) is forcibly pushing them away from their livelihoods.
Apart from the limited coverage service areas, the groups are accusing the firm of “hiding GrabCar Hatchback" services from the public in the app.
"We complain this kind of deliberate disenfranchisement against our ranks and demand to the Grab management to put its hatchback services on top of the options in its app platform – where the riding public can see it first – in order to give them the freedom to choose the cheapest alternative commuting service for them," the group added.
They are also calling on other GrabCar hatchback drivers and operators to join in “fighting back against the schemes" they said have been "endangering" their livelihoods.
As part of their continuous opposition against Grab's policy, the group is set to hold a Hatchback Transport Caravan Protest at Grab's main office in Makati City on Monday to also hand over their appeal letter and seek dialogue with officials.