DECONGESTING the streets of Metro Manila of vehicles remains feasible, according to a Filipino tech start-up, amid reports showing the Philippines as the worst place for motorists.
Per the Driver Satisfaction Index 2017 report released by traffic-beating app Waze On November 10, the Philippines, with a score of 3.02, is at the bottom of a list of 39 countries surveyed.
This holds true as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) saw delivery vehicles for goods reached a high of 143,966 units, or 15 percent of the total motor-vehicle count in 2016.
“And based on our research, there are 15,000 L-300 vans alone in Metro Manila early this year,” Mober Technology Founder and CEO Dennis Ng told reporters on the sidelines of the company’s recent news briefing and launching of Piolo Pascual as brand ambassador.
He said that reducing the growth of new vehicle ownership, particularly the bigger ones meant for transport of goods, could result in lighter traffic and lesser air pollution in the metropolis.
This is what their company has done since the debut in December 2015 of their smartphone app called “Mober” that allows users to book vans and make deliveries on demand, he added.
The first and only homegrown tech start-up that provides logistic services can serve up to two small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—each with at most two delivery needs—since every single unit in its fleet can accommodate up to four bookings per day.
On the first year of its operation since inception, Mober Technology saw a strong demand, with a growth of 65 percent, or around 15,000 bookings every month. Given the expanded base, the company’s monthly bookings are still expanding by 30 percent this year.
By enlisting truck and van owners to activate and use their underutilized vehicles in providing streamlined delivery services for businesses, the company is helping ease the burden of the commuting public.
“So imagine if half of those 15,000 [L-300 van owners] have not bought such and that the SME delivery needs could be absorbed by only 7,500 vans or trucks, that would be a big reduction in a bottleneck on the streets,” Ng explained.
Apart from making a positive contribution to the traffic situation, Mober also offers out-of-line or colorum drivers a legal and more stable source of income.
“Even though they have only four bookings a day, they are happy with us,” the founder and CEO said of the L-300 vans that comprise 70 percent of the firm’s 200 van-partners at present.
For Jonathan Gabson, a member and the lone recipient so far of the Mober Man award who reached 100 delivery bookings in a single month, joining this transport-network company has provided him good alternative above-board source of income.
“I’m happy because I’m earning as much as someone in the corporate sector,” he said. “It’s worth it. With the demand, I can earn up to P80,000 in a month.”
Mober is not only a round-the-clock delivery-service company for SMEs but also for established entities, such as SM Appliances, SM Stores, Our Home and Robinsons Appliances, among others. What’s more, it provides transport solutions for individuals or families.
“It’s also a popular choice of people who want to move houses, or commonly known as lipat-bahay, and other bulk methods,” said Eric Ortiz, COO of Mober.
For a minimum fare of P750, or a quarter of the average charging fee for traditional lipat-bahay trucks or vans at P3,000, Mober offers reliable and affordable transport services to the customers. Currently plying Mega Manila areas and nearby provinces, including Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna, the company seeks to expand to Cebu, Davao and Pampanga by next year. The firm, likewise, targets to have a total of 2,500 van-partners by the end of 2018.
“We will be very active next year because of the new investment to our company,” Ng said of the $2-million, or roughly P100-million, private equity they received from an undisclosed Filipino investor. “We will use that money to strengthen the brand and to make sure that we are the top of mind of the people.”
Image credits: Roy Domingo