Tara is a new Filipino-made ride-hailing app that calls itself a “cost-effective Grab alternative.”
Erwin Dee, the creator of the Tara app, unveiled the app in a Facebook post. According to Dee, he wanted to bring back the Uber days when ride-hailing services were really cheap. After months of research, he apparently found a way to make ride-hailing fares cheaper than Grab by having “No surcharges. 0% commission.”
Of course, their prices will still be under the LTFRB’s fare matrix. Now, you might be wondering, “How will they make money from this?”
Tara will have a subscription-based model. First-timers can try the Basic Plan for Php30, giving them 3 tokens that will enable them to “complete 3 bookings and experience the platform’s convenience firsthand.”
There’s the Regular plan for Php300 with 30 tokens and the Partner Plan for Php3,000 with 300 tokens.
For recruiting drivers, Tara will utilize an invite-only system that “not only ensures a curated network of drivers but also fosters a sense of community and accountability.”
Only existing drivers can give out invitation codes. If a user you invited was reported by a customer, you will receive a notification “allowing you to take appropriate action.”
The service also has a “Trusted People System,” where passengers can add their loved ones to share booking details with and real-time location.
What’s more, Tara will also rely on ads to make money and will use 80% of its ad revenue towards passenger incentives like special promo codes and monthly bonuses of up to Php30,000 to top-performing drivers.
The Tara app will soon be available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The official launch date is yet to be announced and the creator is yet to reveal any details about its LTFRB registration.