AN ALL FILIPINO RIDE-SHARING COMPANY AIMS TO MAKE ITS MARK
RIDE SHARING has become a highly-popular mode of transportation for many living in the metro. From its humble start in 2015, the apppowered ride-hailing service has boomed in the country, evolving in its services offered to include deliveries and transport, as well as the inclusion of motorcycles in its vehicle pool.
The latest participant in the growing market is Unified Transport Operations League (UTOL) (www.utol.ph), a 100 percent Filipino-owned and operated transport network company that aims to strike a balance in addressing the needs of both the riding public and transport network vehicle service (TNVS) owners and operators.
To provide better services to the riding public and partner drivers-operators, UTOL has collaborated with different companies such as vehicle maintenance, cleaning services, and even insurance providers to provide comprehensive insurance to the vehicles at a lower price. The company is also in talks with automotive dealers to form partnerships and become accredited vehicle suppliers for UTOL partner driveroperators. This will include financing for vehicles that would be used by drivers under the UTOL network.
With all of these activities rolled-out, UTOL hopes that its partner-driver operators will also up their game and provide better-quality services to the riding public. By professionalizing the behavior of vehicle drivers and ensuring that quality standards are met, the company can differentiate itself from the field and customers can book knowing that they will get a smooth and safe transportation experience at a fair price.
UTOL has already signed up TNVS driver-operators into their platform, but the doors are still open for prospective applicants. “There are two main requirements that applicants need to provide if they apply as an UTOL TNVS. These are the OR/CR of the vehicle to be registered and a professional driver’s license. For the vehicle models that can apply, UTOL follows the guidelines of the LTFRB regarding TNVS requirements. However, ideally, UTOL would prefer Toyota Vios applicants as these are easier to service for UTOL’S own mechanics and spare parts can easily be found and stocked,” Maningas said.