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Summary: The Philippines are the first country to make a move by passing regulations that allow ride-hailing services like Uber to operate with guidelines for drivers and operators to follow.
Transportation service apps have become the new thing. There is no need to walk out and hail a taxi anymore when you can pull out your phone and request one with an app. Uber is an app-based transportation company based out of San Francisco, CA but is now in 55 countries and over 200 cities worldwide. They function more like a private driver service than a taxi-hailing service with their drivers picking you up in a nice black sedan.
The Philippines are the first country to pass regulations on all ride-hailing services, allowing Uber to be legal anywhere in the nation. Uber has been operating in the nation’s capital, Metro Manila, for over a year. Other countries and states have passed regulations making it so Uber can’t realistically operate or allow the drivers to make a profit. Passengers pay for their ride by credit card through the app instead of in person to the driver. The driver is paid by Uber.
The Philippines’ Department of Transportation and Communications secretary understands how the service that transportation apps provide can benefit commuters and tourists. The regulation includes guidelines requiring the cars to have a GPS system, be less than seven years old, and be a sedan, van, SUV or AUV (Asian Utility Vehicle). The drivers or operators will be required to maintain certificates for each service vehicle and the drivers have to be screened and accredited by the ride-hailing service, such as Uber. Lastly, the driver must be registered with the local transportation regulatory board.
Uber has changed their security measures to help protect passengers in an effort to win over more governments after a report of a female passenger being raped by a driver in India surfaced. Other issues such as insurance and driver screening requirements still make it difficult for Uber to operate in some places.
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Uber’s technology runs on an algorithm to route drivers to the passenger. This algorithm has been having difficulty in areas of bad traffic like Manila. Even with all the difficulty Uber has faced, many users still say their service is cheaper and more convenient than a local cab service.
Source: http://www.wired.com/2015/05/uber-philippines/
Photo: vanityfair.com
