In December 2023, inDrive made headlines when it was officially accredited by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. It meant that Grab finally had a rival, which promised a fare-haggling system to keep the pricing fair. However, the LTFRB suspended its operations in January this year.

After five months, the suspension was lifted with inDrive’s compliance with the LTFRB’s fare matrix. Since the company’s relaunch toward the end of June, it has grown much with 75% more rides and 86% more users. According to inDrive, it currently has more than 8,000 drivers nationwide, and it plans to expand to Cebu, Davao, and Pampanga.

InDrive has a global mission of “challenging injustice to make the world a fairer place for one billion people.” In the local context, the Transport Network Company has partnered with Transport Network Vehicle Services advocacy group Laban TNVS. Its president Jun de Leon is convinced that inDrive genuinely cares for the well-being of its drivers and their families.

Since its relaunch, inDrive has been implementing a 0% commission rate “for the first two to six months,” after which a standard rate of 10% will be charged. According to de Leon, this is around half of what competitors charge, and the LTFRB should limit the maximum rate between 10% to 12%.

He also gave this example: If drivers can save an additional P500 per day with inDrive, that amounts to P15,000 after 30 days of driving—a big deal for breadwinners with mouths to feed at home, especially considering the operating costs of TNVS.

Is such a commission rate sustainable for the business? According to inDrive Asia-Pacific marketing director Natalia Makarenko, she is confident that it won’t change within the next three to five years. Drivers must be able to earn a fair living, which is why inDrive commits to keeping commissions as low as possible. As for the other countries, she said that 10% is the threshold.

Through the “Ka-gulong, kita tayo!” campaign, inDrive and Laban TNVS aim to uphold the welfare of the drivers through community-building. This was evident during super typhoon Carina when flood assistance and feeding programs were mobilized.

According to de Leon, hubs will be set up across different cities. Aside from acting as a resting area where drivers can socialize and air their concerns, they will also serve as onboarding sites for inDrive and command centers for disaster-response efforts—a one-stop shop to unite the TNVS community.

InDrive is currently present in six areas: Metro Manila, Bacolod, Baguio, Iloilo, Butuan, and Cagayan de Oro. The ride-hailing app is available on App Store and Google Play for iOS and Android users, respectively.

Do you think inDrive could bring some healthy competition to the TNVS landscape, and will it last with its unique business model?