Grab improves lives of commuters, drivers
GrabTaxi is a ride-hailing app that has tremendously improved the lives of many by connecting commuters and taxi drivers and solved traffic-ridden commute issues.
One of the individuals who benefitted from the app is Kenneth Leslie Santander Aquito of Quarry Taxi. He said that since he became a GrabTaxi driver in 2017, his life has improved.
"Daku gid nabulig sang Grab sa akon. Indi na problema ang wala sang pasahero kay tungod sang Grab, may nagapa pick-up na nga pasahero," Aquito told this writer during a phone interview.
"May incentives ako kada semana kag gasulod ini sa GCash. Daw bangko ang gwa nya nga pwede ko makuhaan kwarta kon may emergency," he added. GCash, another app, is a fast and secure way for Grab to send money to the drivers.
"Kaagi na gani nga may balayran sa school pero pigado ang byahe, dira ko nagakuha sang kwarta. Sang una, indi kami makasupot kag magapanugutang pa. Pero halin sa pag-entra ko sa Grab, may kuhaan na ko sang kwarta," he said.
According to Grab Iloilo, Aquito has an average of 45 Grab bookings in a week. A consistent GrabTaxi Iloilo top driver, he received a 4.8-out-of-5 customer star rating. He is given a quarterly cash award and certificate. He is Grab's Papugay awardee during the first and second quarters of 2018 because of his performance.
"It is the safest way to ride a taxi. With the app, a passenger will see who the taxi driver is. Because of the sharing feature, even parents can monitor their child's destination and safety," said Jonathan Paca, city manager for Grab Iloilo.
"When you book your ride, you will already have an idea how much your taxi fare would be. You can also pay with your credit or debit card," Paca said.
Their first service, GrabTaxi was launched in 2012 and it entered the Philippines in 2013.
Since then, they have expanded their services from being a transportation app to an everyday app. Now, Grab offers GrabCar (car for hire), GrabBike (motorcycle ride taxi service), GrabExpress (parcel delivery), GrabHitch (social carpool ridesharing service), GrabPay (mobile wallet payment solution), GrabFood (food delivery), Grab for Business (manage company activities), GrabPay Credits (cashless, prepaid way to pay for Grab rides), GrabShare (on-demand carpool ridesharing service), GrabCoach (chartered bus and minivan service), GrabShuttle (public minivan and bus booking), and JustGrab (fixed fare on-demand service).
"We train the drivers. We also give them incentives such as P100 if they have four rides in a day. From time to time, we also give promo codes to the passengers," Paca said.
For now, only the GrabTaxi service is available in Iloilo but once the arrangement with the Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board is finalized, GrabCar will be made available here.
With GrabCar, commuters can hire private cars (from sedans to SUVs) at a fixed rate while private car owners can also earn an extra income.
"GrabCar is currently offered in Manila where there are about 50,000 cars accredited with GrabCar. This is another way to cater to the riding public especially during peak hours," Paca said.
GrabCar was rolled out in Bacolod in 2017. “At times, you would see the young being driven in a sleek SUV,” said Jocelyn Ann Yoshida, manager of Grab Bacolod. With GrabCar, the whole gang can travel together because the car can accommodate up to 6 passengers. More space, more fun for the gang.
Start booking. Simply select your pick-up and drop-off point and see your estimated fare immediately.
Get the nearest driver. Once your booking is confirmed, get your driver's details and estimated time of arrival.
Share your ride. Let your friends know where you're going and where you are in real-time.
Refer a friend. Share your referral code with your friends and get P50 discounts for both of you./
One of the individuals who benefitted from the app is Kenneth Leslie Santander Aquito of Quarry Taxi. He said that since he became a GrabTaxi driver in 2017, his life has improved.
"Daku gid nabulig sang Grab sa akon. Indi na problema ang wala sang pasahero kay tungod sang Grab, may nagapa pick-up na nga pasahero," Aquito told this writer during a phone interview.
"May incentives ako kada semana kag gasulod ini sa GCash. Daw bangko ang gwa nya nga pwede ko makuhaan kwarta kon may emergency," he added. GCash, another app, is a fast and secure way for Grab to send money to the drivers.
"Kaagi na gani nga may balayran sa school pero pigado ang byahe, dira ko nagakuha sang kwarta. Sang una, indi kami makasupot kag magapanugutang pa. Pero halin sa pag-entra ko sa Grab, may kuhaan na ko sang kwarta," he said.
According to Grab Iloilo, Aquito has an average of 45 Grab bookings in a week. A consistent GrabTaxi Iloilo top driver, he received a 4.8-out-of-5 customer star rating. He is given a quarterly cash award and certificate. He is Grab's Papugay awardee during the first and second quarters of 2018 because of his performance.
 |
| Kenneth Leslie Santander Aquito is Papugay Awardee of Grab during the first and second quarters of 2018 |
Commuters feel safe
Meanwhile, Heather Cathedral, a call center agent revealed that she uses only GrabTaxi to get a ride. "I feel safer with Grab drivers. They are also respectful," she said."It is the safest way to ride a taxi. With the app, a passenger will see who the taxi driver is. Because of the sharing feature, even parents can monitor their child's destination and safety," said Jonathan Paca, city manager for Grab Iloilo.
"When you book your ride, you will already have an idea how much your taxi fare would be. You can also pay with your credit or debit card," Paca said.
Leading service app
Grab is Southeast Asia's leading online to offline mobile platform, providing the everyday services that matter most to consumers. Grab provides access to safe and affordable transport, food and package delivery, mobile payments, and financial services.Their first service, GrabTaxi was launched in 2012 and it entered the Philippines in 2013.
Since then, they have expanded their services from being a transportation app to an everyday app. Now, Grab offers GrabCar (car for hire), GrabBike (motorcycle ride taxi service), GrabExpress (parcel delivery), GrabHitch (social carpool ridesharing service), GrabPay (mobile wallet payment solution), GrabFood (food delivery), Grab for Business (manage company activities), GrabPay Credits (cashless, prepaid way to pay for Grab rides), GrabShare (on-demand carpool ridesharing service), GrabCoach (chartered bus and minivan service), GrabShuttle (public minivan and bus booking), and JustGrab (fixed fare on-demand service).
 |
| Jonathan Paca, Grab Iloilo manager talks about the benefits of using GrabTaxi during a press conference at Tatoy’s Atria, August 16, 2018. |
Grab Iloilo
It was in 2015 when GrabTaxi entered Iloilo. Seeing the benefits of the app, taxi operators and drivers got themselves affiliated with Grab. Currently, there are now about 700 GrabTaxi units."We train the drivers. We also give them incentives such as P100 if they have four rides in a day. From time to time, we also give promo codes to the passengers," Paca said.
For now, only the GrabTaxi service is available in Iloilo but once the arrangement with the Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board is finalized, GrabCar will be made available here.
With GrabCar, commuters can hire private cars (from sedans to SUVs) at a fixed rate while private car owners can also earn an extra income.
"GrabCar is currently offered in Manila where there are about 50,000 cars accredited with GrabCar. This is another way to cater to the riding public especially during peak hours," Paca said.
GrabCar was rolled out in Bacolod in 2017. “At times, you would see the young being driven in a sleek SUV,” said Jocelyn Ann Yoshida, manager of Grab Bacolod. With GrabCar, the whole gang can travel together because the car can accommodate up to 6 passengers. More space, more fun for the gang.
 |
| Jocelyn Ann Yoshida and Jonathan Paca, Grab Bacolod and Grab Iloilo managers respectively (3rd and 4th from left) and their team |
How to use the GrabTaxi app
Need a safe ride home? Grab your ride. Here's how to do it.
Download for free. Search for Grab on the App Store or Google Play. Register and activate your account in minutes!
Download for free. Search for Grab on the App Store or Google Play. Register and activate your account in minutes!
Start booking. Simply select your pick-up and drop-off point and see your estimated fare immediately.
Get the nearest driver. Once your booking is confirmed, get your driver's details and estimated time of arrival.
Share your ride. Let your friends know where you're going and where you are in real-time.
Refer a friend. Share your referral code with your friends and get P50 discounts for both of you./
