Another Southeast Asian ride-hailing company wants a piece of the Philippines’ taxi-riding population.
Just days after the Philippine government accredited two local ride-hailing app companies, a representative from the transportation regulatory board said that Indonesian company Go-Jek is planning to expand its operations to the Philippines.
According to a Reuters report, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Board Member Aileen Lizada said that representatives from Go-Jek have requested a meeting with them for this week.
“They would like to personally introduce themselves and probably they will ask for the requirements [for transport network company (TNC) accreditation]. We will listen to what they have to offer,” Lizada told Rappler.
Many Filipino commuters, especially those living in traffic-ridden Manila, have been complaining about Grab’s increasing fares ever since Uber shut down last Monday and Grab took over their accounts. Many have also been having a difficult time booking a cab through the app.
Earlier today, Grab said that it has sanctioned almost 500 drivers after users complained of canceled bookings.
No word yet on how many of Go-Jek’s services will be offered in the Philippines, but if they roll out most of the ones present in Indonesia, they could give Grab a run for its money.
Go-Jek started out as a ride-hailing app for motorbikes, kind of like the local app Angkas, which the LTFRB ordered closed in November. Now, it also offers a taxi-hailing service and is pretty much Grab’s main competitor in Indonesia.
Apart from that though, Go-Jek, which has Google’s Alphabet Inc, Singapore’s Temasek Holdings Ltd, and China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd as investors, is also on its way to becoming a “super app.”
Go-Jek’s services now include package delivery and lifestyle services like house cleaners and at-home spa treatments. They’ve also been promoting a cashless payment system à la WeChat Pay.
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