Experts have said it over and over again, the only solution to this behemoth of a traffic problem is mass transport. But while we wait for the infrastructures and facilities for that, we offer an alternative. An app-based mass transport system we call U-HOP.
Because
of the worsened traffic situation in Metro Manila, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) has pegged our productivity loss to P2.6 billion
every day. Furthermore, JICA said that if we do nothing by 2030, that amount
would reach P6 billion a day.
That’s
why we need transport solutions.
First
there were the app-based car services. The original concept was brilliant;
individual car owners would give a ride to those plying the same routes as
theirs for a fee. Simply put, it is taking the idea of carpooling and
incentivizing it for charging for fare. The result? We get less cars on the
road.
But
then this concept became an enterprising model. Individual car owners were no
longer giving lifts to people, they were operating their cars as cabs, and down
the road, they began purchasing fleets. The result? Now we have even more cars
on the road.
Experts
have said it over and over again, the only solution to this behemoth of a
traffic problem is mass transport. But while we wait for the infrastructures
and facilities for that, we offer an alternative. An app-based mass transport
system we call U-HOP.
Think
of the UV express at the terminals near your homes and offices. They are
convenient because it is mass transport and it is cheap. Now take that service
and make it app-based, you no longer have to wait for long lines.
Here’s
how it works: you sign up for the service. You have an option to pay for daily round trips for a week or for a month, or
you can pay for unlimited rides for a week or for a month.
You
pay for these services using a card that you load up as how you would load up
your cellphone. Using the app, you choose your preferred pickup time, place and
destination. The app will sort out who among its users will be in the same
vehicle and will generate a route so users can be picked up from where they
are.
The
shuttle will send you a message three times to notify you of its distance to
your pickup spot. If you’re late, the shuttle will not wait for you. But U-Hop
allows you to rebook the next ride. You are entitled to one (1) free rebooking
for a week. If you have bought the monthly service, you are entitled to five
(5) rebooking for that month.
Adding
to the convenience of an app-based service, the U-Hop Shuttle System has in
place a verification process to ensure safety. We screen our partner drivers
strictly and through the app, we also verify our passengers.
Because
it is a shuttle system, there are pickup times you will have to choose from.
But if you prefer the ‘taxi way,’ meaning you have a specific time away from
the options, we offer an “On-Demand” service. This is more expensive than the
shuttle service, but it is still less expensive than its car services
counterparts because we assure no surges in fares. It follows a uniform base
fare (P40 for cars and P100 for vans) and a P5.70/km fare flow.
Staying
true to our goal of lessening cars on the road and maximizing the concept of
car-pooling, we encourage everyone who will opt for the “On-Demand” service to
gather a group before booking. You and your neighbors who work in the same area
can book one car.
U-Hop
is an all-Filipino company ran by people who have over 20 years experience in
transportation, business and information technology. They have studied the
Philippine market and they are convinced that an app-based mass transport
system will help alleviate our traffic problems. Being an all-Filipino company
benefits the passengers because we offer cheaper services than foreign
companies.
We
have had this idea for a while but we wanted to follow the law. On May 2015, the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) created the Transport Network Company
(TNC) to accommodate app-based services. We have applied for the TNC status and
awaiting approval before we can finally roll out our service.
As
of August 2015, we have received 900 applicants for operators and 304,000 for
members. We have set up four (4) offices in the National Capital Region (NCR),
Cavite, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.
To
make sure there is no excess in cars, we do not accept new operators if there
are no increase in members. We want to make sure there is a balanced supply and
demand.
We
are targeting setting up operations in more regions in the Philippines, and in
the future, expanding to Southeast Asia and the USA.
We
at U-Hop also envision a colorum-free road. We encourage colorum operators to
instead register with us. We offer a guaranteed minimum payment stipulated in
contract. We have fuel and cash incentives and we have a command center that
will offer medical, road, fire and police assistance to operators and members.
We
are businessmen but we also believe that transportation is a public service. We
prioritize service over profit and we take into consideration the bigger
picture. We want convenience to our passengers, we want to include the lower
and middle class through our cheap service but most importantly, we have a
vision: we want less cars on the road.
Below
are the services you may choose from, and its prices:
OUR SERVICES
Members can avail the
following Services:
Round Trip - P693.00 Weekly
Round Trip - P2,970.00
Monthly
Unli Ride - P1,400 Weekly
Unli Ride - P6,000 Monthly
And choose the following
service areas:
Metro Manila
Bulacan
Rizal
Laguna
Metro Cebu
More service areas to open
every month!
You can also visit their official website, just click the link: https://www.u-hop.com/
