The Senate is eyeing an inquiry regarding issues against Grab Philippines, such as surge pricing and the alleged monopoly of the country’s Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) industry.
In a radio interview, Senator Grace Poe, Senate Committee on Public Services Chairperson, aired her concerns about Grab’s alleged dominance of the TNVS industry, which critics say has resulted in overpricing and overcharging customers.
Poe believes the matter should be investigated by the Senate.
“Alam mo ang Grab, unfortunately parang monopolya na talaga. Sila ang pinaka malaki dito sa atin. Parang wala na tayong choice. Gusto na nga din nila pasukin ang motorcycle for hire, diba?” she said.
“Syempre sa laki nila, mado-dominate nila ang transportation sector kaya malakas ang loob nila mag price surge na wala naman talagang magagawa yung ating mga kababayan. So isa pa pong issue yan na pwedeng ipatawag natin,” Poe explained.
Grab Philippines has yet to issue a statement on the issue as of posting time.
Last year, Poe already called on concerned agencies to investigate Grab’s plan of a 2% commission rate increase, saying the hike is a burden for both riders and drivers.
The senator has been keeping an eye on Grab’s operations since the Singaporean ride-hailing app acquired the local operations of Uber in 2018.
During that time, the senator already warned Grab that it doesn’t give the company the right to charge higher fares now that Uber is out of the picture.
“There should be no room for predatory pricing by a firm allowed to engage in public service,” Poe said in a 2018 statement.
Earlier this year, the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) opened an investigation into Grab Philippines after Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection President (LCSP) Ariel Inton filed a petition to probe Grab’s overcharging.
Inton wants regulators to look into Grab’s surge fare, especially because “passengers are blindsided when exactly the fare increase happens.”
Inton said Grab should clearly explain when a surge fare is being implemented, given there are a number of factors involved such as time, distance, and fare adjustment on top of their base fare.
According to Poe, the LTFRB has already made a decision regarding Grab’s overcharging issues but has yet to release it.