DOTr’s motorcycle taxi TWG orders deferment of Grab, Move It partnership

The Department of Transportation’s Motorcycle Taxi Technical Working Group (TWG) has ordered the deferment of Grab and Move It’s partnership, pending further study and submissions.

“Nag-issue po ang Technical Working Group na ihihinto po muna ang pag-implement ng partnership nitong Move It at Grab,” Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark Steven Pastor said during the Senate committee on finance's deliberations on the agency’s proposed budget for 2022.

(We issued an order deferring the implementation of the partnership between Move It and Grab.)

“Ito po ay subject to further study pa ng Technical Working Group and submissions of the proponents po ng mga kaukulang dokumento,” Pastor said.

(This is still subject to further study of the Technical Working Group and submissions of the proponents of pertinent documents.)

Last week, motorcycle taxi firm Move It and rides, delivery, food, and retail platform Grab Philippines have partnered to offer motorcycle taxi hailing services through the Grab app.

Both companies planned to make available Move It’s motorcycle taxi hailing services on Grab’s app starting September 23, 2021.

In a statement, Grab Philippines confirmed that the TWG has notified Move It to suspend its services on the Grab app, effective Thursday, September 30, 12:01 a.m.

“Together with Move It, we are currently engaging with our regulators, and we look forward to resuming our partnership soon,” Grab Philippines said.

“The partnership will also enable Grab to offer Move It’s safe, reliable, and affordable motorcycle taxi service to our consumers,” it added.

Grab Philippines said the pandemic has brought upon many challenges to the transport industry, and these challenges would require a whole-of-industry solution.

“As a community partner, Grab Philippines will continue to do right by our consumers and partners, encourage constructive dialogue using facts and objective information, and help contribute to the recovery of our transportation industry,” it said.

Move It cries ‘bullying’

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Move It claimed that the suspension of its partnership with Grab “was orchestrated by a number of stakeholders in the Motorbike Taxi Pilot against Move It —the smallest player in the pilot.”

“We strongly condemn this maneuvering by other stakeholders resulting in this suspension as it is anti-consumers, anti-Filipino, and is tantamount to bullying,” the motorcycle ride-hailing firm said.

Move It, despite the temporary deferment of its partnership, expressed hope to continue its venture with Grab.

The company said it has been transparent and forthcoming with its dealings with the TWG and other stakeholders, noting that its partnership with Grab has gone through several rounds of discussions with the TWG.

Status quo

“While we conduct a thorough validation of the complaints and allegations, the MC Taxi TWG has unanimously decided to issue status quo among the parties. The TWG will call all parties concerned and will evaluate the merits while gaining insight from our stakeholders,” the TWG said in its letter to Senator Grace Poe.

The TWG said the collaboration between Grab and Move It was deferred after two provisions of the agreement were violated:

• Grab’s application instead of Move It's application was used to avail, book, and pay for the ride services
• the entire process of training, driver onboarding, marketing, issuance of official receipts and the use of the Grab Driver app was all undertaken by Grab.

In addition, the TWG said the motorcycle taxi study does not include a fourth player. The three players included in the motorcycle taxi pilot study are Angkas, JoyRide, and Move It.

The TWG said Grab, through the collaboration was able to find inclusion in the study as a “de facto” member. It said that Grab’s entry is a circumvention of the processes and guidelines that had been laid down at the start of the study.

The TWG said that by giving Grab a “de-facto” membership in the pilot study, it gave the impression that Move It has relinquished its operation to Grab.—AOL, GMA News