Grab: Surge in price due to higher demand

MANILA, Philippines — Grab country head Bryan Cu on Wednesday said the surge in booking prices are caused by higher demand.

“If the base fare goes up and the surge kicks in, talaga po'ng minsan double ang makikita nila (They would sometimes see that the price is doubled),” Cu said in an interview with GMA News’ 24 Oras said.

Cu explained that the ride hailing transport service receives around 700,00 to 800,000 booking requests a day. However, there are only 35,000 to 36,000 Grab drivers plying the roads daily.

Several users have recently complained higher booking price and difficulty in hailing a Grab ride especially during rush hour and the holiday season.

In view of this, Cu asked for its clients’ patience amid difficulty in booking rides.

“Ang hinihiling ko lang sa ating mga users diyan ay konting patience lang sa pag-book. And if they book, try to book outside of rush hour," he said in the television report.

(We are calling for users’ patience in booking a ride. And if they book, try to book outside of rush hour.)

Last month, the Philippine Competition Commission ordered Grab Philippines to refund P5.05 million to affected riders for breaching their price commitments.

READ: For breaching price cap, Grab ordered to refund P5.05 million to riders

The PCC said it found that the ride hailing company breaching the fare cap placed by regulators. It said the amount must be returned to users who took Grab rides in the third quarter this year.

Last year, Grab acquired its competitor, Uber’s ride-sharing and food delivery business in Southeast Asia.

The anti-trust body, however, asked Uber and Grab to delay the integration of their businesses and continue their separate operations while it examines the domestic implications of the merger. — Rosette Adel