BAGUIO CITY – A maximum of two hundred eighty Grab taxi units are ready to serve the transportation requirements of local residents and tourist alike to be able to reach their desired destinations with lesser restraint.
Roberto Belda, the manager of Grab Taxi Baguio, said interested owners and drivers of taxi units wanting to affiliate with Grab are still welcome to join the group, provided that they can present their barangay and police clearances, bio-data and are willing to undergo a 2-hour training on proper decorum, among others.
Belda said Grab tries to make sure that taxi drivers who affiliate with them strictly adhere to the pertinent rules and regulations for them to sustain the respect of their passengers by their continued patronizing of their services.
He said their drivers are well trained and those who have been reported and found out to have committed violations while affiliated with Grab have been either given disciplinary actions or expelled from the group depending on the gravity of their violations.
Belda explained in the absence of the activated promo code being used by potential passengers of Grab taxis, drivers collect the metered rate plus the systems-generated booking fee granted by the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), thus, drivers collect the permitted add-on booking fee as it the company’s duly accredited system that generates the prescribed booking fee for a desired destination in the city.
For instance, he cited the booking fee for those interested to go to the Lions Head in Camp 7 from the city proper is P100 while the booking fee from the city proper to Kias is P50 among others.
The booking rates are systems-generated depending on the prevailing circumstances in their desired points of destination and the condition of the roads leading to the said places.
Belda said Grab taxi units can also be used to service tourists to various tourist destinations around the city and nearby towns of Benguet but passengers have to pay the systems-generated booking fee.
The Grab Taxi Baguio manager said the company is also trying to make available Grab cars which could be hired for those who want to go to other on a point-to-point arrangement.
According to him, Grab taxi units in the city accept passengers who pay through debit or credit cards, provided that, they inform them when they book for the use of their units.
Belda appealed to their Grab patrons to provide the exact location where they can be picked up or the nearest landmark so that their drivers will not be hard up in locating them.
Belda also announced the Grab is giving citations to best-performing taxi drivers every quarter to serve as an inspiration for them to strive hard and sustain the good image of Baguio taxi drivers as honest and trusted.
By HENT
