Getting through the daily grind of commuting in the Philippines is no walk in the park. The traffic is relentless, and those road repairs? They drag on for an eternity, yet just when you think you've caught a break after a year, they hit you with the news—they need to repair it again.
Luckily, Erwin Dee, a Multimedia Arts Student, developed a car-booking app with a cheaper fare! Surely enough, this innovation quickly gained the netizens’ approval. Introducing: Tara, an alternative ride-hailing app, offers pocket-friendly fares and imposes zero commissions from its riders. No doubt that this idea got double thumbs up online!
A background in programming and a dash of creativity powered him to develop the app in just nine months. In his viral Facebook post, he clarified that Tara is not a ride-hailing app that ‘tries to do everything for everyone.’ But what we can expect from it is a cost-effective ride that delivers well-deserved compensation for its drivers.
In case Tara becomes official with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s approval, an enjoyable user experience is on its way. Tara also plans to allocate its ad revenue by generously sharing promo codes to passengers and bonuses on its top-performing drivers.
What can we say? A win is a win!
A Fair Fare with Kanubapp
Overpriced fare is nothing new to our Cabalens in Tarlac. It was frustration on inconsistent rates that urged Aaron Dungca, a local resident and a software engineer, to develop Kanubapp (Magkano po, Kuya?).
“I was thinking na yung mga bus and jeep may fare system, sa tricycle kahit ano lang gusto ng driver. As a software engineer, I know that computing fare based on distance and official fare matrix can easily be done with technologies,” he shares with Metroscene.
He worked on it for at least five days before sharing it on Facebook. While passengers rejoiced with his innovation, he still considers how this could affect the income of tricycle drivers since price hike on gas still counts for value.
The existing fare matrix imposed by the local government is a big loss for drivers, but changes can only be done if TODAs or transportation groups file a petition. He has major plans on revamping the app, in case Tarlac LGU makes the fare fair even for the drivers.
The way to convenient and affordable transportation is a bumpy road to take. Thankfully, we got local innovators ready to make commuting a more humane experience. And as for the government that handles our taxes: what else can’t you do?
