Indonesia’s Gojek to enter PH’s ride-hailing market

MANILA, Philippines — Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. hailed on Sunday the entry of a new transport network company to restore competition and provide another option for commuters in the clogged streets of the capital.

Campos said that Jakarta-based Gojek’s decision to jump into the Philippine market was a welcome development following Grab’s acquisition of Uber’s Southeast Asia operations.

“We need competition in the ride-hailing market. Consumers tend to get better prices and services when there is competition,” Campos said in a statement.

Gojek co-chief executive officer Andre Soelistyo said last week the tech giant was ready to begin operations in the Philippines by 2020.

“We are definitely going to expand into the Philippines and Malaysia next year. We have prepared everything to enter those markets,” he said in a report.

Gojek operates ride-hailing services in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.

In January, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board rejected its application over foreign ownership issues. —DJ Yap