GrabTaxi | Social Enterprise Takes on Metro Manila -- The New Kontrata

MANILA -- The long-drawn battle between cab drivers and passengers in Metro Manila could soon be over, thanks to the new smartphone app service called GrabTaxi. The social business company has found the solution to ending woes endured for decades by the highly-fragmented taxi industry, with an intuitive cab booking service powered by mobile internet and GPS (global positioning system) technology.

Anthony Tan, 31, founder and creator of GrabTaxi explains, "We learned in [Harvard] business school that it was about creating businesses that made a positive impact in people's lives. Our goal was to create [...] a self-sustaining social enterprise, and that is what GrabTaxi is."

For the passenger, GrabTaxi is about the CONVENIENCE of booking a ride without the pains of waiting in a taxi line or haggling exorbitant rates with opportunistic taxi drivers. It also means SECURITY of having the taxi driver's name and info on record in your mobile, easily shareable on social media. The power to give immediate in-app feedback and complaints about the driver without having to contact the taxi operator or LTFRB is a welcome benefit.

For the cab driver, GrabTaxi means less idle roaming without a passenger in between trips. The mobile app version for drivers also allows them to choose the trips and areas they want to take without harassing hailing commuters. With its live GPS map, GrabTaxi also provides the driver navigation assistance for locations and routes unfamiliar to the driver. Taxi drivers also get the lion's share of the 70 pesos booking fee placed on top of the standard metered fare.

Taxi operators also are considered key stakeholders in this revolutionary trend. GrabTaxi provides a solution to booking operations and trip tracking of their fleet. This allows them to effectively monitor their pool of drivers and their activities because of the real-time GPS tracking data.

I found an article on Technoodling.net that has tons of information about GrabTaxi that I don't want to repeat here.

During the press launch, it was evident that aside from wanting to build a viable commercial service in Southeast Asia, the GrabTaxi team really wanted to build a community among taxi drivers and passengers to help revolutionize the taxi industry. Their message was loud and clear: We need everyone's help to make this fly.

Indeed, in Social Business, there needs to be developed a level of TRUST among all stakeholders. GrabTaxi is the enabler of this collaboration between passengers, taxi drivers and fleet operators.  This new kontrata can replace the old shady dealings that has become the norm in the taxi business, and is the cause of our daliy problems. GrabTaxi provides hope that taxis can become a convenient, safe and effective mode of transportation in the busy streets of Metro Manila. But we all have to do our share.


GrabTaxi is available on Android and iOS. Search for GRABTAXI on the Google Play or the Apple App Store. 

From Effective Measure: Growth spurt in mobile Internet in the Philippines

Over 35% of Filipino Internet users adopt mobile Internet

A growth spurt in mobile Internet use in South East Asia (SEA) resulted in an over 35% of Filipino Internet users to adopt mobile Internet- placing Philippines third in SEA for mobile use. Compared to March 2011, mobile Internet use among Filipinos increased by over 48% in April 2011.

Effective Measure Regional Director (SEA) Russell Conrad credits this growth to the increasing popularity of Smartphones, “Along with the boom of Smartphones throughout the region, a growing number of consumers, including over half a million Filipino Internet users, are adopting mobile Internet to access infotainment, conduct business and engage in e-commerce while on the go.

Comparison of the increase in mobile Internet use in SEA from March to April 2011:

The following details the browsing patterns of Filipino mobile Internet users in April 2011:

• Mobile Internet users stayed on a webpage at an average of 51 seconds, 22 seconds more than PC users
• Each session on mobile Internet lasted for at an average of 5.42 minutes, 34 seconds more than a PC session
• Mobile internet users viewed an average of 7 pages per session, 4 pages less than PC users

“The progress of the Philippines market is deeply encouraging. The increased activity seen on mobile Internet provides an opportunity for businesses to target the Philippines market and establish mobile-friendly interfaces to strengthen an online presence,” said Conrad.

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Most likely this study included mobile internet usage over WiFi, not just mobile data usage. Not sure what had caused the sudden surge between March & April 2011. Feature phones? The iPad? Android phones?

What's your take on this?