LTFRB to issue show cause to Grab for drivers' refusal to take passengers

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Martin Delgra on Sunday said he will issue a show cause order on Grab for the reported increase in the incidence of its drivers refusing passengers.

"We'd like to send a message to all na hindi namin ito tatantanan. And I am appealing to Grab drivers or for that matter yung mga taxi drivers na rin, na kailangan nilang tugunan and assume that responsibility to provide public service na maayos, na hindi natin iipitin or ilalagay sa alanganin ang mga pasahero," he said in a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview.

He said he will issue the  show cause order on Monday for Grab to explain its drivers' alleged practice of refusing passengers.

Delgra said refusal to convey passengers will be meted with a penalty of P5,000 on the first offense, P10,000 on the second offense, P15,000 on the third offense and suspension or violation of franchise for the succeeding offenses.

The app of Grab drivers has a feature that allows them to see the drop-off point of the booking passenger. They can turn down the booking, but passengers are also allowed to cancel their booked rides without a fee.

In an earlier interview, PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles said that Grab has not implemented an LTFRB order issued in September 2015 to take down its app's feature that allows drivers to refuse passengers.

The app for former drivers of Uber, which has been brought by Grab, does not have the same feature. Uber drivers were automatically assigned passengers.

Nograles brought up the LTFRB's 2015 order to due latest observations that Grab drivers have been frequently refusing passengers.

He also said that some passengers complained that Grab drivers, who should be penalized by the ride-hailing company for cancelling booked rides, also resort to convincing the passengers to cancel their bookings to avoid punishment.

He said that based on Grab's rules, drivers who will cancel bookings will not be able to get incentives.

In a post on Facebook, Grab's country head Brian Cu said the company is "taking a harder stance to crack down" on reports of cancellation of bookings.

"I’ll update the community more on the progress. I do hope our driver partners understand that behavior like this has a ripple effect on the community. Grab is doing its part, I hope that you do, too," he said.

Cu cited a social media post about a Grab driver asking the passenger to cancel.

"Grab does not tolerate this behavior. I will have the team start mining all [conversations] and start suspending drivers that do not meet our standards," he said.

He added that the driver in the post has been suspended and may be banned from driving on Grab. —Erwin Colcol/ALG, GMA News