Grab boosts service reliability, accessibility amid holiday demand growth

Grab Philippines is gearing up to surpass its holiday performance from last year, according to Country Head Ronald Roda. The leading superapp has been developing a comprehensive strategy to enhance reliability, accessibility, and safety as demand skyrockets in the final two months of the year.

Historical data shows that Grab Philippines experiences at least a 19% increase in daily transacting users for its ride-hailing services every last quarter of the year, with the number of ride bookings growing by up to 45% in the second and third weeks of December. For its deliveries business, demand rises by 20% on key holiday dates, with a recent survey by the brand revealing that 44% of Grab Philippines users rely on the app for their festive meal deliveries. 

Grab Philippines Country Head Ronald Roda shares, “Our data and studies all lead to a singular insight: Filipinos just wish to be present this Christmas — fully engaged with families and friends as they celebrate the most beloved holiday. Grab aims to bring our kababayans much closer to their loved ones, and help them create special moments this holiday season.” The yearning to be together every holiday is underpinned in Grab’s Holiday Trends study, indicating that Filipinos attend an average of four gatherings in celebration of Christmas and New Year.

The brand emphasizes that being a reliable and accessible platform is no easy task. “For some, the holiday season lasts two or three months. For Grab, it is a journey that spans over 10 months when you consider all the preparations done leading up to the season. We have been preparing since January of this year — working with our regulators towards a more balanced demand and supply, and launching a series of technologies to provide our consumers with a better holiday experience,” Mr. Roda adds. 

Strengthening partnerships to meet demand

While demand during peak times may inevitably outstrip current supply, the leading superapp remains optimistic that its service reliability this year will be much improved in comparison to the previous holidays. 

Mr. Roda expresses the platform’s gratitude to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for its continued openness and supportive efforts. With the release of new TNVS slots in August, Grab has been onboarding new driver-partners — a process that can take up to three to five months.

Besides the challenge of demand-and-supply imbalance, Grab is also looking after the potential impact of holiday-induced traffic congestion on the earnings and productivity of driver-partners. Historical data of the platform show that drivers, on the average, will need to spend 14% more time for the same trip distance for most of the December holiday rush.

“While we continue to prioritize the accessibility of our services, we are also closely monitoring the fairness of our fares to ensure that our driver-partners can earn sustainably and viably this holiday season. By ensuring this, we hope to encourage more drivers to continue serving our passengers in spite of the traffic situation, helping maintain service reliability on our platform,” Mr. Roda notes. “The holidays are also crucial for our driver-partners, and we are committed to helping them capitalize on the increased demand to attain sufficient, if not above-par earnings, for themselves and their families.”

Grab assures users that fares will stay fair, in line with the regulatory matrix implemented by the LTFRB. To aid in maintaining the accessibility of its ride-hailing services, Grab has also expanded the coverage of its GrabUnlimited subscription service, which now includes an everyday 8% discount on GrabCar rides. Furthermore, as part of its affordability commitment, Grab has launched GrabCar Saver — an affordable mobility solution that is cheaper than a standard GrabCar ride.

The leading superapp has also recently launched its Group Rides feature, which not only maximizes the utilization of its fleet through the carpooling model, but also efficiently lowers down fares by allowing groups of four to share their ride’s base fare.

Harnessing Technology for an Elevated Holiday Grab Experience

Leading to the holidays, Grab has also introduced several new features that improve access to rides and food deliveries for Filipino consumers.

This lineup of new technologies includes Advance Booking, which guarantees on-time rides to the airport that can be booked up to seven days in advance — a perfect solution for holiday travelers.

In line with its commitment to affordability, Grab has also introduced a number of new features. The GrabFood Group Order feature facilitates collective meal orders for families and friends, offering escalating discounts that can go as high as 15% as the number of participants increases. 

GrabFood Saver helps users save on delivery fees, while the Large Orders option allows for ordering larger quantities of food and essentials for group celebrations, complete with special deals. These features are designed to effectively manage the expected growth in delivery demand during the Christmas season.

“Many of our kababayans are looking forward to spending the Holidays with their loved ones, and we are aware of their expectations of us during this season. With that, we have devoted our time, effort, and expertise to elevate their Grab experience — allowing every Filipino to be more present this yuletide season,”  Mr. Roda said.

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