In what could be a game-changing innovation in the crowded delivery app space, a locally developed transport app is tapping ordinary commuters and vehicle owners as transporters who are already traveling towards the direction of the drop-off location of a package.
The newly launched ?Jojo Pasabay? delivery mobile app joins the growing list of delivery firms that includes the likes of Grab Express, Lalamove, Weexpress, and Transportify.
But the main innovation the app is introducing is its ability to employ ordinary commuters who do not own any vehicle and will just use the MRT, jeepney, bicycle, or simply walk to deliver the package since they are going in that direction anyway.
The app developers say users of the app can get their deliveries within the day while helping a fellow Filipino stuck in traffic to earn extra money from his daily commute.
The team behind the app ? led by startup veteran Jay Fajardo and backed by political scion Jack Enrile — said the ?crowdshipping app? aims to bring back the sense of community among Filipinos while at the same time augmenting their income and minimizing carbon footprint.
The company said an average Filipino spends 1 hour and 6 minutes on the road each day, wasting 16 days of precious time per year.
?If I earned for every kilometer spent in horrible traffic during my daily commute, that would have made it much more bearable, not to mention profitable. Jojo transforms everyday commuters into entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for additional income,? said Fajardo, who serves as Jojo?s chief strategy officer.
?When you look at the road every day with thousands of people on their cars, trains, and buses, you will realize we have an invisible and untapped logistics and supply chain resource interconnected by the people and all the places we go. This benefits commuters, senders and entrepreneurs, creating a more efficient and sustainable way to ship,? he added.
Eunice San Miguel, Jojo Pasabay marketing manager, said during the media launch at the SM Megamall that the app took a little inspiration from the bus-based courier system in the province called ?paw-it? (Ilocano term for ?send?) wherein senders send their packages to buses headed to the same destination. The recipients then pick up the parcels at the bus terminal in Metro Manila or in the province.
But, San Miguel said the Jojo Pasabay has a loftier objective in the long-term ? to deliver packages globally via transporters who could deliver the packages when they go out of the country.
For the meantime, she said Jojo transporters can deliver ?legal packages? that fit within the standard large backpack anywhere in Metro Manila.
The mobile app also has an advanced GPS tracking system that allows the sender to track the exact location of the package. The parcels are also insured for as much as P5,000.
The company said transporter applicants are properly vetted before they become verified Jojo transporters. To be a transporter, he/she must submit two government IDs, one of which should be a driver?s license if planning to transport using a motorcycle.
When using the app, the sender will also see a photo of the Jojo transporter, as well as his/her rating. Transporters may refuse to pick-up or deliver the goods that are not packed in his/her presence, or when the sender refuses to open the packaging for inspection.
Shipping starts at P99 for the first three kilometers and P8 for every kilometer after.
