During its beta testing, GrabTrike was available only in select areas, including Mandaluyong in Metro Manila and Angeles City in Pampanga. Today, it has expanded to include areas such as Balanga in Bataan. Grab Philippines looks to roll out the service to more areas in the future.
By and large, GrabTrike enhances the Grab Philippines brand in three ways: (a) first, it provides a cheaper alternative to GrabCar; (b) second, it expands the user base of the ride-sharing app to include low-income earners who can only afford tricycles for their commutes; and (c) it provides additional livelihood to local tricycle drivers.
The use of standardized metrics in determining fares in tricycles from one point to another also eliminates the abusive practice of some tricyle drivers and operators who charge either hefty or inconsistent fares to the riding public, particularly during rush hour.
But the question is: How is the GrabTrike experience? Is it any better or just the same without the app? We set out on a trip to find out.
For this review, the following metrics were utilized:
- ease of use;
- waiting time;
- fare;
- convenience; and
- overall experience.
EASE OF USE
Booking a GrabTrike ride is hardly different from booking a GrabCar. If you've booked a GrabCar in the past, this should be a no-brainer. As a side note, though, GrabCar and GrabTrike are the only two options available to Grab users in Pampanga; GrabShare is nowhere to be found in the options.
WAITING TIME
Considering that it was rush hour on a rainy Sunday with SM Clark as the pick-up point, it was fairly understandable that waiting time was 7 minutes.
FARE
The GrabTrike fare was P74. Note, however, there was a fare surge at the time; ordinarily, the fare should have only been around P70. Compare this with GrabCar, where the fare was P120 for the same trip. That's a P46 difference.
CONVENIENCE
GrabTrikes are not airconditioned, but there is a semblance of being enclosed because the tricycle units have a door. This feature somewhat protects passengers from the elements outside, including dust, smoke, heat, and rain. It's a tricycle, so expectations should be kept at a minimum. Note that a tricycle can accept a maximum of three passengers.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
The GrabTrike experience was not bad at all. In fact, if you're in a rush and there are no available GrabCar units or you're running low on cash, the GrabTrike is a very viable alternative that you can take to pick you up from where you are en route to your drop-off destination. The drivers -- or at least the one we had -- are also courteous and respectful.
If there's anything that needs to be pointed out about the GrabTrike service, it is the fact that you cannot pay by GrabPay.
When we were dropped off, we thanked the driver and walked away, thinking the fare was already covered by our existing GrabPay credit. We had to return to the tricyle, however, when the driver informed us that GrabPay is not accepted. The driver told us we weren't the first ones to make this mistake; plenty of South Korean tourists in the city load up their GrabPay accounts to go cashless, only to realize they have to pay in cash when booking GrabTrike rides.
Bottomline: Make sure you have cash on hand.
Have you booked a GrabTrike ride in the past? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments section below.