With the country’s return to normalcy and the reopening of the economy that brought along brisk business, Grab Philippines is grappling with the unlikely problem of “driver-partners” shortage.
Grab senior director for operations Ronald Roda viewed the opening of 4,433 transport network service (TNVS) slots as a In light of the opening of 4,433 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) slots, as a “much welcome development for many passengers in the immediate term.”
“And if we are to make mobility work for our commuters in the long term, there needs to be a proactive, data-driven planning and forecasting of driver supply to ensure that at any given time, passengers are able to book a ride whenever they need to.”
“There is still hope for our state of transportation, and Grab remains deeply-committed to playing an active role in supporting the needs and safeguarding the wellbeing of our passengers and driver-partners,” Roda said.
According to Roda, the ride-hailing firm continues to find ways of serving current passenger demand and maximizing existing cars on the road through features such as GrabShare and Multi-Stop ride.
With Grab still grappling with the shortage in number of driver-partners on the road since the economy reopened, 1 out of 2 passengers was able to book a GrabCar during the holidays of 2022.
Roda added that the issue in supply during the holidays has put a strain on GrabCar drivers who had to be online for at least seven hours per day—with more than 90 percent of them driving for the majority of the week, just to serve the increased demand during the holidays.
Additionally, with more passengers preferring transport network vehicle services (TNVS), some resorted to unorthodox means such as booking via parcel-delivery or dating apps vis-a-vis the lack of available rides.
Despite the shortage of drivers, Roda reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe, reliable, and more accessible transport solutions for commuters and driver-partners amid public outcry against the country’s transport situation.
“Every Filipino deserves safe, reliable, and more accessible means of transportation, and we are fully committed to making this possible with the support of our regulators and government partners,” Roda said.
Helping solve the ongoing transport challenges—according to Roda, is one of the priorities of the company this year as it prepares to serve more passengers as the economy further reopens this 2023.
Notwithstanding the ongoing shortage of drivers, Grab continues to make every possible effort to support passengers and existing drivers while remaining compliant with the fare matrix of the LTFRB. Among
its key efforts include Multi-Stop Ride and GrabShare.
Multi-Stop Rides and GrabShare helps maximize the limited number of cars on the road while helping serve the high passenger booking demands on Grab’s transport business.