Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 30) – Users will no longer be able book the Move It motorcycle taxi service from the Grab app temporarily starting Sept. 30.
The Department of Transportation’s (DOTR) Motorcycle Taxi Technical Working Group (TWG) on Thursday confirmed the firms’ partnership has been suspended.
“Nag-isyu po ang TWG na kung saan po inihihinto po muna ang pag-implement ng partnership ng Move It gayundin po ng Grab,” DOTr Assistant Secretary Mark Steven Pastor said during the Senate hearing of the department’s 2022 budget.
[Translation: The TWG issued an order to suspend the implementation of partnership between Move It and Grab.]
Pastor explained the TWG will further study the tie up while waiting for more important documents from Grab and Move It.
The two companies have partnered to provide motorcycle taxi services to Grab app users just last week.
Move It focuses on motorcycle taxi services while Grab serves as an online platform for delivery, food, rides, and other services.
In a statement, Move It said it’s frustrated and disappointed with the suspension. It even decried the decision as a form of “bullying.”
“This suspension was orchestrated by a number of stakeholders in the Motorbike Taxi Pilot against Move It – the smallest player in the Pilot,” the company said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
“We strongly condemn the maneuvering by the other stakeholders resulting to this suspension as it is anti-consumer, anti-Filipino, and is tantamount to bullying,” it added.
The Lawyers for Commuters’ Safety and Protection earlier urged the TWG to probe what it called the “backdoor” entry of Grab through Move It.
“The ride hailing company’s dubious partnership with Move It is clearly a circumvention of the program’s guidelines as the Singapore-based company is not part of the pilot study of the government,” the group’s spokesperson Atty. Noel Valerio said.
JoyRide, Angkas, and Move It are the only motorcycle ride-hailing companies allowed to join the extended pilot implementation of the government’s motorcycle taxi pilot study.
“The backdoor entry of the giant foreign multinational Grab through the help of Move It is tantamount to anti-competition practice as it hopes to dominate the transport market which is disadvantageous to Filipino-owned companies,” the group added.
Move It, however, said it has been transparent and forthcoming with their dealing with the TWG and stakeholders.
It added their partnership with Grab has gone through several rounds of discussions with the TWG. “So bakit ngayong naka-launch na kami, tsaka kami ipapasuspend?”
[Translation: Why is it that our partnership is being suspended after we’ve launched already?]
Grab Philippines, meanwhile, said it’s currently engaging with transport regulators and looking forward to resume their partnership soon.
