Ride-hailing platforms defend fees

MAJOR ride-hailing and delivery platforms operating in the Philippines defended their current commission rates and driver incentive programs before the House of Representatives, following reports that promised fee reductions have yet to materialize for many partner-drivers.

At the Legislative Energy Action Development Council hearing on Wednesday, Party-list Rep. Brian Poe Llamanzares raised concerns from riders indicating that several platforms are still deducting commissions as high as 20% to 23%, despite earlier commitments to lower ceilings to assist workers during the current economic crisis.

inDrive Philippines, represented by its country and policy advisor Vicente Jaime M. Topacio, maintained that its platform remains the most competitive with a maximum commission of 10%.

“It’s a proven formula for us based on the 48 countries that we operate… we can confidently say that we can stick to our 10% promise,” Mr. Topacio told lawmakers, noting the platform’s commitment to a low-commission model.

Other platforms cited existing incentive schemes to offset costs. Grab Philippines Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Sherielysse R. Bonifacio, said fuel rebates of P3 to P5 per liter are provided for top drivers and a “turbo program” triggers incentives after 30 minutes of driving.

Lalamove Philippines Public Affairs Lead Adrian Y. Asoy said their commission remains at 20% in Luzon and 15% in Cebu, adding it can drop to 5% for stickered and long-distance vehicles.

Mr. Poe requested all platforms to submit detailed reports on subsidies and tier systems to the technical working group, noting profitability at a 10% commission would warrant reviewing platform fees, while the committee directed firms to present firm commitments on driver “cushioning” or fee rollbacks in succeeding hearings.

House leaders, including Rep. Franz S. Pumaren and Rep. Romero Federico “Miro” S. Quimbo, also vowed to pass the Motorcycle (MC) Taxi Law within the 20^th Congress, a measure seen to provide a permanent framework for over 200,000 riders under MC taxis and TNVS. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking