By Alexandria Dennise San Juan
Limited cars to serve a big number of passengers this holiday season has resulted in higher fare rates and difficulty in booking a ride.
This was the explanation of Grab Philippines on Saturday to commuter complaints of exorbitant Grab fares.
Grab said it is currently "working on a very limited number of drivers to serve an exponentially high demand."
In a recent data provided by Grab, it showed that it is receiving around 700,00 to 800,000 booking requests a day.
However, there are only 35,000 to 36,000 Grab drivers plying the road daily due to the "lack of the much needed supply."
"If the base fare goes up and the surge kicks in, talagang minsan double ang na makikita nila (usually the fare will be doubled)," Grab Philippines Brian Cu said in a separate interview.
Amid higher fares due to frequent surcharges, the transport network company maintained it is still compliant with the rates authorized by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
"Grab's fare remains to be within the approved matrix of the LTFRB, and we intend to keep it compliant," Grab said in a statement.
Aside from limited vehicle supply, Grab cited the "worsening traffic condition," and the "limitations on efficient mass transport system" affecting the current scenario.
"Grab is primarily designed to augment and support the role of mass transportation in the country, however it has been seen nowadays as its replacement," it added.
Grab urged the public to remain patient and to book a ride outside rush hour, if possible.
"We enjoin everyone to remain patient in these days, and to thoughtfully plan their trips ahead of time," Grab said.