Four transport civic groups asked the government’s inter-agency technical working group in charge of conducting the pilot test of motorcycle taxi services in the Philippines to review the sale of Move It Philippines to Grab.
Lawyer Ariel Inton, founder of Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection, said the “deal between Grab and Move IT is designed for Grab to have instant accreditation by virtue of its acquisition of Move It which was granted accreditation by the TWG.”
He said that the acquisition of Move It should not mean that Grab automatically acquired the TWG accreditation given to Move It.
“If Move IT does not want to operate under the pilot study, then they should say so,” Inton said.
The National Public Transport Coalition, ARANGKADA Riders Alliance and Digital Pinoys supported Inton’s statement.
“There must be a justification of the sale made to the TWG as Move IT is under the jurisdiction of the government inter-agency group, so the legality of the sale, and the alleged subsequent automatic granting of the accreditation can be studied,” said Ariel Lim, chairman of National Public Transport Coalition.
Move IT said in a statement it remains as one of the three motorcycle operators, and its accreditation would not transfer to Grab.
“This is the same situation in Angkas, one of the two other MC taxi operators, which got investments from a foreign company. Creador, the investor, did not acquire the accreditation of Angkas,”’the company said.
“Given the transition of government, we prudently and proactively informed all relevant government agencies – based on our rigorous legal due diligence,” it said.
Move IT said regardless of ownership, it would maintain its own corporate identity and branding under the leadership of chairman Francis Juan.
Grab Philippines ventured into ride-hailing motorcycle services with the acquisition of Move IT on Aug. 5.
“Given the transition of government, we prudently and proactively informed all relevant government agencies, based on our rigorous legal due diligence,” Move IT said.