Grab Says Expect Longer Wait and Higher Price this Christmas

Just like every Christmas season in the Philippines, traffic is expected to get worse and shopping places more crowded. So it's not surprising that renting a car via Grab will be harder and possibly more expensive this month.

According to the head of Grab Philippines, Brian Cu, there will be a 30 percent increase in demand for Grab cars but supply has remained the same. This is because the company has already stopped accepting new drivers since August in accordance with LTFRB's request. So with the additional 30% demand, their system's surge function will automatically make fares higher and wait times longer.

Grab advice loyal patrons to be more patient and adjust their travel schedules. "Definitely, the extra load of 30 percent in demand ... it would be very, very hard to serve them ... They may have to adjust their travel schedules a bit. Longer waiting times will come into the picture because of the traffic," said Cu.

As for Grab drivers, the company also encourages them to drive full-time and, if possible, stretch their time on the road so they can meet the demand this month. However, if LTFRB is able to update their policy soon, this may allow the company to start accepting drivers again this month and meet the needs of their loyal patrons.

Grab is one of the leading ride-hailing app company in the Philippines. Its main rival is Uber which have not reported yet how the Christmas season will affect the waiting time and price of service.