It’s a sad day for Grab users and drivers. As of June 10, expect fewer Grab cars coming our way. The ride-hailing company will lay off at least 8,000 drivers by next week because of their failure to comply with Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)’s rules.
“The driver accounts to be deactivated belong to those who have not submitted proof that they acquired provisional authority from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB),” Grab President Brian Cu said.
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Inquirer reports the LTFRB opened 20,000 slots for drivers to complete their needed documents. But by the looks of it, only a few drivers have met the deadline.
Cu says laying off 8,000 drivers means losing 100,000 rides a day. This means longer booking time and price surges galore. That’s great as if our savings aren’t drained from price surges already. Plus, didn’t they just make cancelling Grab rides harder this year? 2019 might not be a good year for this ride-hailing company.
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“This will reduce the number of vehicles servicing our commuting public, thus inconveniencing many Filipinos,” he says. It will make commuting more of a living hell than it already is. There’s no doubt about it.
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What can we do but brace ourselves? The LTFRB won’t make public transportation more accessible anytime soon. Right now, we can try alternatives like Owto, or be brave enough to ride Angkas, or get over ourselves and ride PUVs.
Lying to ourselves that we’ll still make on time works too.
Art by Martin Diegor