Grab: We don’t allow doubling of rates outside Metro Manila

A message claiming that Grab had authorized the doubling of rates of rides outside Metro Manila was a “hoax,” an official of Grab Philippines said on Wednesday.

Automotive journalist James Deakin earlier posted on Facebook his concern about a Grab partner-driver who apparently asked him to double his fare.

Some drivers, Deakin said, even presented a message which indicated that Grab authorized the “x2 fare” if the route reaches outside Metro Manila.

Grab Country Head Brian Cu said the message was a hoax.

“No that’s false. The message is not endorsed by Grab, it was probably crafted by a partner driver and shared among other drivers,” he said in a press conference in Quezon City.

“Ang rule natin kung ano ‘yung fare, that’s it. Walang dagdag, walang bawas (Our rule is that what the fare indicates, that’s it. No more, no less),” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Cu admitted their failure to inform their riders of the implementation of the P2 per minute travel charge in July 2017.

Cu said there were no communications made through their application to inform the riders of the additional charge.

“There was no comms to the riders inside the app. In the information card, we’ve updated that, but when we raised the P2 per minute, we did not include that. So ‘di namin nailagay,” Cu told reporters.

But Cu pointed out that unlike in usual taxi rides, the price for Grab rides is “not a pre-agreed per minute or per kilometer fare.”

He said what is important is that the riders were at least informed of their total fare when using the application.

“There’s nothing illegal with failing to update the information,” he said.