Hiring a driver

[GeoffH]

On 7/21/2023 at 1:07 PM, hk blues said:

Maybe just a definition difference - to me, Grab is a taxi service.  

When I use Grab in Cagayan De Oro I always end up with a taxi responding to the booking, in Manila I've never ended up in a taxi when I booked a Grab car.

I guess it varies depending upon the location.

[Jollygoodfellow]

7 hours ago, GeoffH said:

When I use Grab in Cagayan De Oro I always end up with a taxi responding to the booking, in Manila I've never ended up in a taxi when I booked a Grab car.

I guess it varies depending upon the location.

From memory, you choose in the app if you want a car or taxi, 

[hk blues]

7 hours ago, GeoffH said:

When I use Grab in Cagayan De Oro I always end up with a taxi responding to the booking, in Manila I've never ended up in a taxi when I booked a Grab car.

I guess it varies depending upon the location.

But a Grab Car is a taxi service, surely? Whether it's a car or a liveried taxi doesn't really change the service it provides. 

[Jollygoodfellow]

On 7/20/2023 at 9:48 PM, JJReyes said:

Taxis are iffy.  There is always the chance of getting a shabby vehicle and a shady driver.  What about an on-call service like Grub? 

Is Grub a sister company of Grab but the filthy one as the name implies 

[GeoffH]

46 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

From memory, you choose in the app if you want a car or taxi, 

I will check but I haven't noticed that option (or changed any settings between Manila and CDO).

[GeoffH]

43 minutes ago, hk blues said:

But a Grab Car is a taxi service, surely? Whether it's a car or a liveried taxi doesn't really change the service it provides. 

 

My family have owned taxis for several generations in Australia and the family here have had them also.

In both cases the difference between a Taxi and a Grab car (or Uber or similar) is that the taxi is operating under a licensing agreement with a  government authority (franchise in the  Philippines or Taxi licensing authority in Australia) where as a Grab or Uber (non Taxi type) is operating under a licensing/franchise agreement with a private company.

It creates a two tier system in most countries (with the taxi industries generally more heavily regulated).

Australia has a third category "hire cars" which Uber is now also competing with. 

One reason 

Edited July 25, 2023 by GeoffH

[hk blues]

44 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

 

My family have owned taxis for several generations in Australia and the family here have had them also.

In both cases the difference between a Taxi and a Grab car (or Uber or similar) is that the taxi is operating under a licensing agreement with a  government authority (franchise in the  Philippines or Taxi licensing authority in Australia) where as a Grab or Uber (non Taxi type) is operating under a licensing/franchise agreement with a private company.

It creates a two tier system in most countries (with the taxi industries generally more heavily regulated).

Australia has a third category "hire cars" which Uber is now also competing with. 

One reason 

OK, but...

My original "contention" was that the suggestion not to hire a taxi as they are "iffy" and better go for a Grab seems strange as, at least here in Iloilo and it seems in CDO as per your post, they are one and the same.  In fact, as per your post, in reality a taxi is more likely to be less "iffy" as they are likely to be more regulated.

[Jollygoodfellow]

1 hour ago, GeoffH said:

I will check but I haven't noticed that option (or changed any settings between Manila and CDO).

These are the options here but might be different in your area

[GeoffH]

Nope, don't have those options here (see below).  

I vaguely remember seeing some car size options last time I used the Grab Car app at the airport in Manila but it was a while ago (memory not what it used to be).

 

 

[JJReyes]

6 hours ago, GeoffH said:

In both cases the difference between a Taxi and a Grab car (or Uber or similar) is that the taxi is operating under a licensing agreement with a  government authority (franchise in the  Philippines or Taxi licensing authority in Australia) where as a Grab or Uber (non Taxi type) is operating under a licensing/franchise agreement with a private company.

It creates a two tier system in most countries (with the taxi industries generally more heavily regulated).

The problem with getting a taxi from the curb in Manila is you don't know the quality of the interior.  It could be filthy with an air-condition unit that is not working.  A taxi driver might also have an agreement with Grab which means you could still get a lousy interior.  The non-taxi ones are relatively new vehicles.  One possible reason is wealthy families started buying vehicles, during the earlier years when the service was introduced, to get into the business.  

During our last Manila visit, a friend used Grab on the days when her car had the wrong code, or it was her driver's day-off.  The vehicles appeared to be new.  I suspect her phone request was always for a van.  Most regular taxis are small passenger vehicles.