THE operator of private car-booking system GrabCar has invested $4 million in its local subsidiary, in light of the recent order of the transportation department that legalized the operations of ride-sharing companies in the Philippines. It also appointed Yiling Kok as the company’s regional head of safety.
“We must continue to ensure that our safety standards are not compromised. [We] will continue to set aside funds and resources for safety and security,” GrabTaxi Group CEO Anthony Tan said.
Tan added that users “will be reassured to know that GrabCar adheres to the same strict safety standards of GrabTaxi, with the focus on its three pillars of safety, convenience and speed.”
For her part, Kok said: “As the regional safety lead in charge of operational controls, I aim to maintain our excellent safety record and have been given the mandate to leverage on our multimillion-dollar research-and-development facility to build and develop the best safety features for our riders.”
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya recently announced a new classification for ridesharing services, like GrabCar. The company is now moving toward its full accreditation as a transportation network company, a platform that connects passengers to drivers with private cars.
“This is an opportunity for Grab to be once more the leader in the transport-booking industry. We’ve always been at the forefront of innovation while working closely with regulators. Since GrabTaxi started in the Philippines in 2013, we have revolutionized the transportation landscape for both drivers and passengers. We are focused on doing the same thing with GrabCar, and we are celebrating the Philippine government’s support for us,” Tan said.
Since its Philippine launch in 2013, the company has established a reputation for cooperating with concerned government agencies, such as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), to advance progressive transport regulations.
“GrabTaxi has been working with the LTFRB since day one of its operations, and has been collaborative with us on the drafts on the policy on the TNCs,” LTFRB Executive Director Roberto Cabrera said.
“We are extremely strict in our driver-vetting process. We ensure that all private drivers have been cleared by the National Bureau of Investigation, have undergone a rigorous driver training, and have secured a professional driver’s license. We also ensure that we meet all our drivers and peers in person to conduct training and evaluation,” Kok said.
In a region that is plagued with safety, traffic and transportation issues, GrabTaxi offers an appealing solution to commuter woes. Since its founding in 2012, over 83,000 taxi drivers have been using the GrabTaxi app to receive bookings in Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.
There has been over 4.4 million downloads of the app around the region. GrabTaxi is locally available in Manila, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo.