A ride-hailing app for tricycles, anyone? With the success of ride-hailing digital platforms that have been extended to motorcycles, a local start-up company is now seeking to apply this success to tricycles.
PressItNowCo. launched the PINDOT App, touted as the first tricycle-hailing mobile application in the Philippines , in San Pablo City, Laguna last July 26.
The launch event in Barangay III-B was led by Dominic Bala, PressItNowCo. President and CEO; PINDOT Shareholder Joseph Aldwin Sadsad; and PINDOT Lucena City Operation Manager Eloisa Zha Briones.
Also present at the event was Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry - San Pablo City (PCCI SPC) President Bernard Deriquito, PCCI Member Ricky Tan, and officials of the federation of the city's tricycle drivers and operators associations (TODA).
"Pindot is more than just a booking app. It is a platform that creates livelihood and business opportunities by helping drivers increase their income, enabling merchants to reach more customers, and providing passengers with a safer, faster, and more convenient way to travel," PCCI - San Pablo City said in a social media statement.
The new service aims to solve some of the pressing issues commuters face in using tricycles, branded as "taxis of the masses" that provide short-haul transportation to millions of Filipinos.
These include exorbitant fares; drivers refusing to carry passengers due to destination or package concerns; and "cutting trips."
Trike-hailing
According to the company, the PINDOT app allows passengers to request rides through real-time booking and driver matching based on location within the designated service area.
Passengers can indicate to the app how many passengers intend to board and if they carry heavy packages or freight.
The system also digitally records trip details, which may help enhance transparency, passenger safety, and service monitoring.
According to the local government of San Pablo, the PINDOT App now hosts 368 registered tricycle drivers and 555 registered user-passengers at the time of its launch.
Beyond transporting people, PINDOT also handles delivery services through its "Padala" platform; cashless and digital payment systems through "Pitaka;" and online purchases through "Pabili."