Grab says the 2019 holiday surge could happen again this summer

Last updated on May 6th, 2021 at 08:23 am

Grab Philippines ‘ holiday surge customers experienced in 2019 may come as early as summer this year, given the expected increase in demand amid the steady churn out of rider partners.

According to Grab Philippines Country Head Brian Cu, the company’s customers may expect difficulty with their bookings as soon as next month.

Cu explained that Grab can currently supply 70 percent of all bookings made under the platform, but this may soon go down unless the government opens new slots for additional cards under the platform.

In 2018, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) placed a cap of 66,750 on the common Transportation Network Vehicle Services Supply Basis (TNVS).

Estimates show, according to Cu, that there are only 45,000 to 50,000 active riders weekly, with 33,000 to 34,000 active Grab riders every day.

Out of the total, Cu said some 7,000 to 10,000 are inactive riders, still counted under the LTFRB’s cap.

Grab said they’ve introduced incentives for inactive riders to return to the platform, such as providing loans for automobile service.