Indonesia’s Go-Jek wants to enter PhIlippines

Indonesian ride-hailing and online payment company Go-Jek is looking to expand into the Philippines, just days after Uber shut down its local business as part of its exit from Southeast Asia.

Go-Jek executives have requested for a meeting with regulator, Aileen Lizada, a board member at the transport regulator, told Reuters.

Reuters reported in March that Go-Jek, which counts Alphabet, Inc., Singapore’s Temasek Holdings Ltd and China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd as investors, was set to announce its first expansion to another country in Southeast Asia in the “next few weeks.”

The move comes weeks after Uber sold its losing Southeast Asia business to regional rival Grab, and just days into Uber’s exit from the Philippines, to the dismay of the riding public that has complained of higher fares, longer waiting time and picky drivers.

The Philippines’ transport regulator approved the accreditation of local ride-hailing companies Hype Transport Systems, Inc., HirNa Mobility Solutions, Inc., and Golag, Inc. to spur competition.

The country’s transportation agency caps the number of ride-sharing vehicles at 65,000 across all brands and reviews the figure every three months.