New ride-hailing app Hype allows users to book rides through text

A new ride-hailing service will allow passengers to book their rides—even without internet connection—via text messaging free of charge.

Hype, a ride-hailing app which will be formally launched on May 27, promises to be more user-friendly as compared with competitors in the transport network vehicle service (TNVS) industry, said president and CEO Nick Escalante.

“Magiging user-friendly ito dahil hindi lang pwede kung meron kang internet. Kung naubusan ka ng internet, pwede ring text na lang. Pwede kang makapag-book through SMS at ito'y walang bayad on the part of the passenger,” Escalante told reporters in a media forum in Quezon City on Thursday.

“Yung system, sumasagot din sa kanya through SMS. ‘Yun ang malaking pagkakaiba sa ating competitors,” he said.

Hype joined the TNVS industry after Grab Philippines and Uber merged their operations.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board issued on April 18 a certificate of accreditation in favor of Hype Transport Services Inc. as a transport network company.

From the option to book rides through text messaging, the commission structure is “very competitive,” Escalante noted.

“Ibig sabihin, medyo maliit ang aming kikitain para malaki ang take-home pay ng driver at ng operator,” he said.

Hype may also include an additional component in its ride-hailing app to allow digital signages so that drivers will earn additional income.

“Yung mga drivers, gusto namin na they will form themselves into a formal cooperative at tutulungan namin sila financially,” Escalante said.

“We will set aside a portion of our income and give this to them in the form of financial assistance on a monthly basis,” he said.

Hype’s fare structure does not include per minute charges. The fare components would only include the base rate, per kilometer charges, and surges in case the demand is high.

“Hindi komplikado yung algorithm namin,” Escalante said.

For regular bookings, the base fare is P40 and P14 per kilometer. For carpooling, the base fare is P30 and P9.50 per kilometer.

Hype COO Jennifer Silan noted that they have measures to prevent driver cancellations.

“Sa Hype, makikita ‘yung destination [ng rider]. Pero ang pambalanse namin doon, we will be very strict doon sa mga driver na magca-cancel,” she said.

“We will train them, and two cancellations might cause them to be blocked from the Hype system. So very strict po kami doon sa mga drivers na magca-cancel,” Silan noted.

Silan said their partner drivers will also come from the existing 65,000 drivers in on the LTFRB masterlist.

Hype’s mobile app can be downloaded on May 19, with the trial rides starting on the same day.

Apart from Hype, other TNCs with applicants pending at the LTFRB are Hirna, Go Lag, and MiCab. —VDS, GMA News