JUST five years ago, it was a nightmare to take a cab out of Port Area, where I worked at that time. My friend and I would stand at a dark corner for at least 30 minutes while empty taxis passed
by, asking us to do a spiel on where we were going. Meanwhile, giant trucks were all over the place. There was one time that we stood there for nearly two hours. In the end, we got a ride with a colleague. Still no cab.
Things got even more nightmarish when the holiday season kicked in. There would be taxi lines outside malls but, again, you needed to stand in line for hours before you could get a ride home.
The scenario has since changed. We now need a smartphone with mobile data and any one of two apps, Grab or Uber, to get a ride (usually a sedan) from point A to point B. According to the company’s web site, Uber was conceptualized in 2008 one night in Paris when two men (Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp) had difficulty hailing a cab and thought how much better the world would be if they could just tap a button to get a ride.
This story makes me wonder why no one thought of creating something like Uber here in the Philippines. Uber’s services and mobile app were officially launched in San Francisco three years later, with riders getting a black car for 1.5 times more than the cost of a regular taxi.
Uber officially launched in the Philippines in 2014. It’s story here has not been smooth, as it recently had to pay a huge fine to get out of a monthlong suspension.
Grab is a Malaysian company that was launched in 2012. It’s still known there as MyTeksi. It started its expansion in Southeast Asia and reached the Philippines in 2014. Grab in the Philippines offers an array of transport and delivery services.
Uber and Grab are heaven sent for working people and those who don’t own vehicles. For instance, if you don’t want to arrive at a party in a taxi, you can always book Grab Premium or Uber Black.
These two transport services aren’t perfect. We’ve had to deal with exorbitant fares, rude drivers and wonky navigation, too, just as we had before Grab and Uber came along.
But despite these, at least we’re assured of getting a ride as long as we can afford it. There have been issues about safety and security, but those concerns are there even when you’re taking a taxi or taking a bus.
I’m just happy that now we have choices. Even my mom doesn’t need to wait on the street for a taxi. We book a Grab or Uber car for her, which fetches her at the gate of the house.
Even deliveries are quicker and more efficient, thanks to Grab Express and Grab Express Lite. If I have several appointments during the day and I have to carry around so much stuff (press kits, etc.), I call for Grab Express to bring it home while I go about my chores and meetings.
The apps are not difficult to use (truthfully, network signal is the usual problem). You can choose to pay in cash or via credit or debit card.
As a commuter, I appreciate that Grab and Uber (and other forms of transport) have offered us choices, instead of us having to stand for two hours waiting for a cab that will never take us home.
1 comment
Uber actually launched in Manila last December 2012 with 20 cars from one operator.