inDrive ride-hailing service gets LTFRB accreditation

A new Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) will be operating soon, having recently received accreditation to operate from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). That service is inDrive, a Russian founded ride-hailing service that is now headquartered in the US.

inDrive got its start when residents of Yakutsk City in Russia complained of the unfair price hike for rides during New Year’s Eve of 2012 coordinated by local taxi companies. The citizens banded together on social media to request, offer, and most importantly, agree on fair prices for their rides. This grassroots, collective, online action eventually became the inDrive app.

Since then, inDrive has grown to operate in 48 countries and has moved its headquarters to California in the USA. Claiming to be one of the fastest growing international passenger transport services, it operates on a peer-to-peer pricing model that promises to be fair for both drivers and passengers. The Philippines is inDrive’s latest battleground, having already established a presence in neighboring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The way inDrive operates is it allows passengers to select their preferred driver, and drivers (who are shown the passenger and route) can do the same. Passengers are then presented with a list of available drivers, allowing them to choose based on preferences like driver rating, vehicle model, and estimated time of arrival.

Drivers are also offered the same level of transparency with ride requests showing the fare, pick-up point, and destination. This allows them to select or ignore ride requests without penalties, granting them some flexibility.

The service also has some built-in safety features such as the ability to share real-time GPS location and ride details with trusted contacts, a dedicated emergency button connecting to law enforcement agencies, a chat function, and 24/7 support via in-app chat and email.

inDrive will initially operate in five cities in the Philippines: Bacolod, Baguio, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro, and Butuan. It is currently conducting driver recruitment initiatives before officially launching and expanding its services in the Philippines.

inDrive is currently running a driver registration campaign in the five cities from now until December 31, 2023.

In addition to ride-hailing, inDrive provides other services such as intercity transportation, freight delivery, task assistance, courier delivery, and employment search.

inDrive has not yet announced the exact date of its official launch nor the services it plans to offer once it begins to operate.

Earlier this year, the LTFRB had declared inDrive a colorum ride-hailing app. The company has since filed for and received accreditation to legally operate.