Grab drivers, Nograles face off at LTFRB hearing on ‘hidden charge’

Grab drivers on Tuesday expressed their anger at PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles over his claims of overcharging and P2-per-minute hidden charge.

One driver was even kicked out of a hearing of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for heckling Nograles.

Security escorts a man out of LTFRB's hearing after a disorderly outburst, claiming 60,000 drivers will lose their jobs; it is still unknown if he is referring to Uber or Grab. pic.twitter.com/ej43bCkTBN

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) April 17, 2018

The driver, later identified as Vince Fernando, president of the Philippine Solid Grabbers (PSG), said Nograles has no idea what he is talking about.

"Hindi totoo 'yan, wala kasi siyang alam. 'Di niya naiintindihan ang sinasabi niya. Hindi niya nakikita 'yung hirap ng mga driver," Fernando told GMA News Online.

The LTFRB has ordered Grab to explain the P2 travel charge or else it would lose its accreditation.

Gohan Nuguid, another driver, said drivers were told of how Grab computed its fare though neither he nor Fernando elaborated if the explanation included the P2 travel charge.

Nuguid said drivers were surprised at Nograles' claim of overcharging as they did not feel the benefits of such charges. "Wala kaming maramdaman na kumikita kami nang maganda," he said.

In a separate interview, Nograles said he was fighting for consumer rights and due process and insisted that he believes Grab overcharged commuters and bypassed the LTFRB in setting its fares.

"Ang paningin ko, 'yung algorithm ang hindi nagde-determine dapat ng mga fare. Ang nagde-determine ng fare ay 'yung LTFRB, at dapat i-programa ang algorithm depende sa approval ng LTFRB," he said.

Over the course of the hearing, representatives of Grab Philippines reiterated that the P2-per-minute charge was not hidden and had been part of their pricing structure since it was revamped in June 2017.

The charge was supposedly included in Grab's fare hike petition in January this year. LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III contended that the time-based charge was not included in the petition.

"Ang lumalabas, ang pag-implement ng P2-per-minute nung June 2017, hindi po dumaan sa due process. Dumaan lang po sa Powerpoint presentation," Nograles said.

Representatives of Grab Philippines present in the hearing did not say the exact date when the travel time charge was implemented.

Delgra ordered MyTaxi.Ph, operator of Grab Philippines, to explain when they imposed the P2-per-minute charge, their fare algorithm, and how many rides were given with the charge when the hearing resumes on May 29. —KBK, GMA News