Solon says Grab not implementing 2015 order to remove feature to refuse passengers

PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles on Sunday bared that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has already ordered Grab Philippines to remove a feature that allows them to refuse their passenger, but the company has yet to implement it.

Nograles made the statement following the observation that Grab drivers ask their passengers to cancel their own bookings to avoid being penalized by the online ride-hailing company.

In a Super Radyo dzBB, Nograles said the LTFRB has directed Grab Philippines to remove the feature as early as September 2015.

"Ang specific instruction is really tanggalin yung capacity to know the rider's destination and capacity to know the cost of the trip, dahil naniniwala ang LTFRB na ang driver, kung alam nila ang destination at yung trip, mataas yung urge to refuse to convey the passenger," he said.

"Yun ang orders nung September 2015, magtatatlong taon na yan pero hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin iniimplement ng Grab," he added.

Nograles explained that if the drivers themselves cancel the trip, it would affect their internal point system.

"Kapag masira yung internal point system ng driver, hindi na sila makaka-avail ng incentives ng Grab. Kaya ayaw ng driver na mag-cancel maski na sila yung talagang gustong mag-cancel," he said.

A YouScooper shared a screengrab of his mobile conversation with a Grad driver who wanted him to cancel his booking.

When the YouScooper told the Grab driver that he should cancel the booking, the driver replied: "Ok cancel you later."

"Ang tawag diyan, refusal to convey, 'yan ay pinagbabawal ng batas at ng LTFRB," Nograles said.

He said this is yet another violation on the part of Grab.

"May nakikita tayong modus dito sa Grab. Hindi nila sinusunod yung PCC (Philippine Competition Commission), hindi nila sinusunod ang LTFRB, hindi nila sinusunod ang Korte Suprema sa kanilang jurisprudence at hindi nila sinusunod ang mga batas na ginagawa Kongreso," he added.

GMA News Online has reached out to Grab for comment and clarification, but has not yet received a response as of posting.

It was also Nograles who revealed that Grab has been charging P2-per minute of travel time in their service.

While Grab claimed that it has informed the LTFRB about this, the agency has ordered the company to stop its P2-per minute charging. —ALG, GMA News