Two lawmakers have expressed opposing views on Grab Philippines’ decision to suspend its 500 Grab drivers for alleged cancellation of passengers’ bookings and other violations.
Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte said concerned government authorities led by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board must be able to file appropriate charges against at least 500 partner-drivers of Grab Philippines.
“Suspending these 500 Grab drivers won’t be enough. Charge them in court for shortchanging passengers and causing so much stress and inconvenience to them,” said Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, adding that mere suspension was not enough as this would only encourage drivers to cancel more trips.
But Rep. Winston Castelo of Quezon City said the suspension was enough to discipline the erring Grab drivers.
Castelo, chairman of the House special committee on Metro Manila development, said “Grab’s policing its own ranks strikes a vibrant social balance and assures the public of a transparent organizational regulation.”
“Passengers should also be responsible by observing reasonable and valid booking cancellations,” said Castelo, adding that “while the LTFRB is tightening the noose on Uber and Grab drivers, it appears that the regulatory agency has itself to account for,” Castelo said.
This developed as Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte expressed dismay over the move by Grab Philippines to employ its destination-masking feature in trip bookings to only 25 percent of its driver-partners.
Villafuerte called this a “half-baked” scheme to address mounting complaints from passengers of trip cancellations and difficulties in getting rides.
Villafuerte asked Grab why it was limiting its move to no longer show in advance trip destinations to only 25 percent of its drivers when its previous rival, Uber, was able to implement this feature in its app to cover all of its drivers.
Villafuerte also said Grab’s limited implementation of its destination-masking feature would be unfair to the drivers covered by it. “To be fair to all its drivers, Grab should implement the feature to cover all of them.”
