After deactivating drivers, Grab says it needs 20K rides

MANILA, Philippines — Grab said on Tuesday that it needed up to 20,000 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) units if it were to have any hope of meeting the growing demand for its ride-hailing services.

The transport network company said that “remedial steps” were being taken in the meantime to minimize the shock to its system after over 5,000 drivers were deactivated last week for operating without a franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

But the only permanent fix, said Grab public affairs manager Nicka Hosaka, would be the acquisition of “15,000 to 20,000 more TNVS units.”

The statement came on the heels of the results of an online survey conducted by The Passenger Forum (TPF), a network of commuter advocates, that allegedly showed 78 percent of TNVS passengers “suffered more frequent and expensive fares due to surge pricing.”

The survey, which had 100 respondents, was conducted between June 14 and 15, right after the mass expulsion of “colorum” drivers began on June 10.

The results also showed that 72 percent of passengers had difficulty booking a ride afterward, said TPF convener Primo Morillo.

Necessary move

In response, Grab said it already warned commuters of higher prices and longer waiting periods before the mass deactivation, a move it had said was necessary to comply with LTFRB regulations.

“As demand continues to grow, there are simply not enough TNVS to ferry the Filipino commuters,” said Hosaka, who added that the company would ensure its fares were “still within the LTFRB’s approved TNVS fare matrix.”

Morillo urged Grab and the LTFRB to work together to speed up the process of making more TNVS units available to commuters.