Review Grab’s acquisition of Move It, group tells Inter-Agency TWG
Group calls sale detrimental to industry and to the consumers in general
In a joint press conference, four civic transportation organizations requested that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and the government’s inter-agency technical working group (TWG) oversee the pilot test of motorcycle taxi services in the Philippines and review the sale of Move It Philippines to Grab.
Representatives from Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection, National Public Transport Coalition, Arangkada Riders Alliance, and Digital Pinoy signed a petition Thursday questioning the validity of the Move It-Grab arrangement.
The petition will be sent to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“It is evident to us that Grab Philippines has acquired Move It”. It is merely a ploy to take part in the pilot program as it has always been planned without going through the formal accreditation procedure, according to the petition.
Atty. Inton stated that the agreement “should not imply” Grab’s immediate acceptance into the pilot trial.
The National Public Transport Coalition’s National Convenor and Chairman added:
” A rationale must be provided for the sale to the TWG as Move It is within the control of the government interagency committee so that the legality of the sale and alleged subsequent automatic granting of accreditation can be examined.”
The ARANGKADA Riders Alliance, led by National Chairman Rod Cruz, brought to light numerous complaints and unresolved duties of Grab to its riders, calling into question Grab’s ability to care for its riders’ welfare.
Grab Food delivery bikers recently went on strike to protest the reduction in delivery cost for the first three kilometers from P49 to P26.
“It is highly concerning that Grab would purchase Move It, as it has repeatedly failed to resolve the numerous complaints of riders.” The acquisition of Move It by Grab would result in more ARANGKADA complaints that must be handled.”
This statement was supported by the National Convenor and Chairman of the National Public Transport Coalition, Ariel Lim. “There must be a justification of the sale made to the TWG as Move It is under the jurisdiction of the government inter-agency group so the legality of the sale, and the alleged subsequent automatic granting of the accreditation can be studied.”
In case you forgot, Grab bought Move It a month ago, and at the time, the company stated that the acquisition was made with the intention of fostering more competition in the industry, which is still in its infancy.
