Easing the traffic congestion in Metro Manila is a shared responsibility of the government and the private sector, Grab Philippines country manager Grace Vera Cruz told DAILY TRIBUNE’s digital show Straight Talk.

“We have to understand that traffic congestion is a whole-of-industry challenge and we have barely scratched the surface in solving this. But we will continue to take proactive steps to help improve the situation day by day,” she said.

Grab Philippines is a super app that combines many services like ride-hailing, food and other deliveries.

Vera Cruz maintained that her company is a firm believer in public transportation as a way to move more people and goods more efficiently considering the less-than-ideal roadways in the country.

“As the country strives to enhance this sector, Grab Philippines has stepped in to complement the public transportation system, providing a safe and reliable alternative for commuters,” she said.

“Grab, through its strong partnership with the government, its top-notch technology, and decades-long industry expertise in ride-hailing, offers a unique solution to traffic congestion — a shift from single-occupancy vehicles. Instead of one vehicle being dedicated to one owner, through ride-hailing, we get to maximize the capacity of that vehicle, and further optimize vehicle deployment,” she explained.

The 2023 TomTom Traffic Index showed that Manila has the slowest travel time of 387 cities across 55 countries.

It said that on average, it takes 25 minutes and 30 seconds to travel 10 kilometers in Metro Manila, while driving the same distance only takes 8 minutes and 40 seconds in Kansas City, USA, where travel time was fastest, the traffic index found.

“By having a highly reliable platform where one can book a ride quickly and efficiently, we strive to encourage more car owners to leave their vehicles at home and instead rely on ride-hailing,” Vera Cruz said.

“To achieve this, we continuously collaborate with the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) to right-size the number of TNVS (Transportation Network Vehicle Service) fleets to meet the growing demand for ride-hailing services,” she said.

Vera Cruz revealed that Grab Philippines was also affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic, shooting down the notion that they prospered during the contagion.

“Many people didn’t know, but during the start of the pandemic, it was a very tough time for us also. Our transport business stopped, as there was very little transport during that time in Metro Manila,” she recalled.

“We were not prepared for the influx of demand for deliveries, as most stores and restaurants were closed. But our focus was to bring our services and hope to our delivery partners and drivers who rely on Grab to provide for their families,” she said.

Constant change

Vera Cruz stressed that what the pandemic taught the company is that “change is a constant thing, the agility to adapt to that change, and the ability to find a solution for that change.”

“Second is the realization that Filipinos are indeed resilient, that no matter the challenge given to us,” she said.