Hearing on surge rate of Grab reset to January 2023

The hearing on the surge rate and alleged overcharging of Grab was rescheduled to January 10, 2023, according to Joseph Morong’s “24 Oras” report on Tuesday.

The hearing set on Tuesday, December 13 was rescheduled after the lawyers for Grab could not attend due to COVID-19 exposure.

“Nakakalungkot, expect Grab to have higher fare sa inyo. Wala pa rin tayong parameters kung kailan dapat magsurge kasi wala pang decision,” Atty. Ariel Inton, president of Lawyers for Commuter Safety and Protection, said.

(This is sad, expect Grab to have higher fare for you. There are still no parameters when surge rate apply because there is still no decision (on the matter.)

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will only decide on whether or not to set the times when the surge rates should be effective after the hearing.

The other issues with the LTFRB cannot also be decided on and these include alleged overcharging trips that are less than four kilometers.

“Maliwanag yung matrix eh di ba, ang flagdown P40 eh sa kanila P85,” Inton said.

(The matrix is clear, the flagdown rate is P40 but they charge P85.)

Based on the fare matrix of LTFRB, the flag down rate of P45 with additional P15 per kilometer and P2 per minute of the trip, it will only cost P60 per one kilometer except when the trip is slow.

GMA News Online sought comment from company but Grab said they have no comment on the matter.

Grab said they will have additional 200 units in airports, which was requested by the Manila International Airport Authority o MIAA this holiday season.

“We started discussions on this three months ago. The problem with the airport is there’s always a deluge of passengers at certain times,” Ronald Roda, Grab director for Strategy and Operations, said.

The passengers can book in the Grab app “airport to anywhere service” from December 16, 2022 to January 16, 2023.

“You only see that if you’re in the airport or the reverse, you put a pin that says you’re going to the airport,” Roda said. -- Richa Noriega/BAP, GMA Integrated News