“We implement a two-way passenger and driver feedback system, as well as mystery passenger audit system.”
These are the words from car service app Grab’s Code of Conduct for its driver-partners. On Monday, April 30, Grab is putting these words into action, as it implements its mystery passenger scheme.
Over the weekend, drivers got the following message from Grab:
“Hi, Ka-Grab! Simula Apr 30 (Monday), magkakaroon ng Mystery Passengers na oobserbahan ang GrabCar experience, Posibleng makuha niyo ang passengers na ito at i-rereport nila sa Grab ang kanilang naranasan.”
Translation: “Hi, Grab member! Starting Apr 30 (Monday), there will be Mystery Passengers who will observe the GrabCar experience. It’s possible that you may get these passengers and they will report to Grab what they experienced.”
Grab’s mystery passengers move comes after riders flooded the company with complaints against its driver-partners.
In his report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer report, Jovic Yee noted: “Some 500 drivers of Grab in Metro Manila were suspended or banned by the app-based transport network company (TNC) in the wake of mounting complaints against its picky drivers.”
For their part, drivers have also complained about Grab’s “faulty system.” Grab, which recently acquired Uber’s Southeast Asia operations, has been making moves to pacify dissatisfied and disgruntled riders. It must be pointed out that Grab already said it would “hide passengers’ destinations from drivers upon booking” in order to prevent picky drivers from ignoring or rejecting the passenger bookings.
Aside from that, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also called out Grab for its so-called “surge pricing.” The government agency has ordered Grab to cease implementing this.
Meanwhile, more ride hailing apps are expected to enter the market. Among them are U-HOP, LatGo, Owto, Hype, and Hirna. But while the presence of these ride hailing apps may be great, the country’s public transport problem remains.
