UBER Philippines has announced it is implementing a limit on surge to make rides more affordable during the rest of the holiday season.
The move came after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board called the attention of Uber and Grab Philippines due to complaints where surge ranged from P2,000 to P28,000 on Saturday, Dec. 24.
The agency also noted they were not consulted on Uber’s “Upfront fares based on predictions” and advised the public to report any violation through its 24/7 hotline (1342), SMS or Viber (0917-550-1342 OR 0998-550-1342) or e-mail (complaint.ltfrb.gov.ph@gmail.com).
“In response to the LTFRB’s directive, Uber has implemented a limit on surge to make rides more affordable during the busy holiday season. This will be effective until Jan. 15, 2017,” said Yves Gonzales, head of public policy at Uber Philippines.
In a separate statement, Uber claimed the recent increase in its fares came as demand ballooned but supply haD remained the same as the LTFRB haD suspended processing the Transport Network Vehicle Service applications.
“We have seen increasing demand for Uber rides this holiday season, yet vehicle availability remained stagnant. We are optimistic that the LTFRB will soon lift the suspension on new TNVS applications, allowing more people to enjoy safe, reliable and affordable rides in the Philippines,” it stated.
Grab earlier placed a cap on its prices to ensure that the riding public will get the best service and rates during the Christmas season.
“For our passengers, may we request that you double check your pickup and drop-off points before confirming your booking,” Grab stated, in addition to voluntarily placing a cap on their rates beginning December 24 until January 30, 2017.
The company also assured it is ready to refund rides, upon verification, should there be incorrect charges due to system error.