Too many, too soon. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has introduced five new transport network companies (TNCs) after accrediting them one by one in the past several days.
The transport regulatory agency said MiCab, Hirna, Hype, Go Lag, and Owto may start serving metro commuters within this month (May). It emphasized that these new TNCs will offer alternative service to current market player Grab, which has been enjoying a monopoly for demand for transport network vehicle service (TNVS) providers since Uber exited the local market on April 15.
“We are allowing the riders to have choices of what TNC they would like to use for their transportation requirements or needs,” LTFRB Board Member Aileen Lizada told GMA News in an interview on May 1. “They will be able to compare now the different prices that these TNCs have to offer—not only the prices but the services as well.”
The new TNCs are being categorized as either taxi-hailing or ride-hailing. Taxi-hailing services like MiCab, Hirna, and Hype will compete with Grab’s GrabTaxi. Commuters can book rides via designated mobile apps. They will be charged based on the meter on top of a specified amount of booking fee per TNC.
Comparison of fees
Meanwhile, ride-hailing services provided by Hype, Go Lag, and Owto will compete with Grab (GrabCar). However, based on a comparison of these new ride-hailing TNCs’ fares and fees, Grab remains as the cheapest and most practical choice for the riding public:
|
Comparison of Costs |
|||||
|
Ride-hailing app |
Base Fare | Charge per km |
Price Surge (during peak hours) |
Per-minute charging |
Cancellation fee |
|
Grab |
P40 – P80 | P10 – P14 |
X 1.5 |
P2 (suspended) | None |
| Hype | P40 – P80 | P14 – P15 |
X 2 |
0 |
None |
| Go Lag | P40 – P90 | P14 – P18 |
X 1.5 |
P2 | None |
| Owto | P40 – P60 | P12 – P17.50 | X 2 | P2 |
P50 |
All these new TNCs will serve passengers within Metro Manila. Go Lag will extend its service coverage to Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and other nearby cities.
Strict monitoring
LTFRB disclosed that onboarding of various TNVS vehicles is into these new platforms is ongoing. However, it clarified that only TNVS drivers who are currently included in the agency’s database (comprising of 65,000 drivers) will be allowed to join any of these new TNCs.
Lizada also reminded TNVS drivers that LTFRB will continue to monitor the quality of service they render to commuters. She warned that erring drivers could be blacklisted along with their operators if they continue to incur serious complaints from their passengers.