Sen. Tulfo wants review of Grab’s fare discount policy
Sen. Raffy Tulfo, during a recent hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services, has urged the ride-hailing company, Grab, to review their policy requiring partner drivers to shoulder the 20% fare discounts granted to students, senior citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) on top of the 20-30% platform fee per booking.
The committee found out that with this setup, drivers only take home 50-60% of their earnings per booking. For example, if a booking costs PHP 100.00, Grab will take its PHP 20.00 platform fee, while the additional PHP 20.00 (PWD, senior citizen, or student) discount will be shouldered by the rider.
Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, said that this policy could be one of the reasons why most drivers refuse to accept the bookings of passengers with special concerns, citing instances wherein students who are in a rush would even resort to using two different accounts just to book a Grab ride.
Saturnino Mopas, Chairman of TNVS Community Philippines, testified that drivers have been absorbing the 20% discount for the past six months.
For his part, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson, Teofilo Guadiz III, immediately slammed Grab for violating their franchise agreement. He said that based on their existing policy, Grab should shoulder the said discount and not their drivers. Guadiz added that they would issue a show-cause order for Grab and further warned that this violation could lead to the suspension of Grab's franchise.
Tulfo said he will follow up with LTFRB in a week on its action regarding Grab's violation.
