The already competitive market of app-based ride hailing services in Manila is about to get even more competitive with the entry of a new player. The Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) recently accredited the Ride-Hailing Service App developed by Peerbits as a transport network company.
It acquired a two-year license to operate in the Philippines in April, confirmed Aileen Lizada, a LTFRB Board Member. After that, at their discretion, they can apply to extend their license.
It has a similar business model to Grab and will be first rolled out in Manila City.
The Service recently released its fare structure, which is very similar to that of Grab–base fare of P40 and P30 with additional charge of P14/ km and P9.50/ km for its Sedan and Pool services respectively.
However, unlike Grab, the new service allows passengers to book rides through text without any internet connection.
"SMS booking or texting is a cheaper medium than internet booking. So, we wanted to implement that and provide it to those other classes," said Chief Operating Officer Jen Silan. “Around 30, 000 drivers have shown interest in signing up for our platform, however the accreditation process will officially initiate from next week”, Silan added.
The new service’s fares are cheaper than that of Grab as the former do charge per minute. In addition, the service provides a discount to students, senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD).
“The taxi app solution automatically displays discounted fare when it detects that a riding passenger is a student, senior citizen or a person with a disability”, commented Shahid Mansuri, CEO of Peerbits, a firm responsible for building the IT infrastructure of the Ride-Hailing Service App.
To ensure the safety of its drivers and passengers, the App introduced an SOS button, which can be pressed in case of an emergency.
“Whenever a driver or passenger presses the big SOS button in the app, an alert is generated on its control center along with the location of the driver or the passenger. Then an executive calls the person in distress to learn more about his situation if the person is available, otherwise, sends an emergency team in his direction”, added Shahid.
Interestingly, this Cab Service App enters the market in the wake of a controversy surrounding Grab Philippines’ alleged undisclosed P2/minute charge.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved to add upto 65,000 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers and promises to establish a “one-strike policy” apprehension among the drivers in case of violations.
The Taxi-HailingApp is available for download from June 25 while the service officially launches it on July 2.
This service is one of the few TNC players in the country along with Golag, Hirna, Micab, Owto and U-Hop.
About the Service
This Service is a 100% Filipino owned company, with majority shareholders being Mr. Nicanor Escalante, and Retired Admiral Danilo Cortez and minority shareholders, Ms. Jennifer Silan Mr. Nicanor Codorniz Jr and Ms. Mitchell Matias.
This Service is dedicated to uplift the daily life of the regular drivers and operators by providing a customized solution needed for their daily living, not only in the monetary form but including legal assistance and training programs among others.
Itis also dedicated to make the riding public’s experience more comfortable, easy and affordable.
As a Filipino company it is also dedicated to abide by the government agencies’ policies and guidelines in every step.
About Peerbits
Peerbits is a global mobile app development company with its presence in five countries; USA, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Colombia.
With the holistic aim to provide innovative mobility solutions, Peerbits offers a spectrum of custom mobile app development ranging from enterprise mobility solutions to startup apps, on-demand mobile apps, and healthcare mobility solutions.