Thank you for the link. I had mistakenly thought that if Grab selects a route with tolls, then the toll was automatically included in the fare. Now that it says the driver has to manually enter it, then for sure if they add it after accepting cash at the toll booth, it's a conscious attempt by them to make more money.

True, it's not a lot of money, but they shouldn't cheat or steal from customers, whether we can afford it or not. They do it from locals too and on a regular basis. If they steal 80 cents 15x a day, then they are at the minimum daily wage for most people in Manila. I wouldn't want them to get fired over it, but I don't think they would be fired, since Grab needs as many drivers as possible.

For me, whether it's Coastal Road tollway or Skyway to/from the airport it happened 50% of the time. It's why I take a taxi to the airport now. No waiting, it's cheaper (assuming they use a meter) and no issues with paying cash for the toll (and no resultant bad feeling if I'm lied to). Btw, when I said taxi with meter is always cheaper than Grab, I meant a Grab car, not a Grab taxi (which is also cheaper).

I don't always contest the double toll, but I try to if I have time. It's not for the money, it's bc I want to vote against that scam. Similarly, sometimes Grab drivers accept a ride but then say they have to eat something so will be delayed. Really it's bc they don't want to accept the ride and mb didn't know the distance and fare and are worried about traffic, etc. To delay arriving at the pick-up point is their way of getting the passenger to cancel and incur the fee, rather than the driver. I don't cancel. I just wait for 20 minutes and see if they will cancel. It's my way of voting against their decision not to fulfill the ride.

I don't begrudge taxi or Grab drivers trying their best to make a living, even if it's done dishonestly. I'd probably do the same in their situation (though what I'd really try to do is to provide good service and be friendly, hoping for a tip), but I don't want to encourage bad behavior, so vote accordingly by pushing back or reporting the scam. I don't report taxi drivers who don't turn on their meter bc I know it's mainly hopeless to do so, and sometimes I'm in a hurry to get somewhere. But I let them know clearly that I know what the metered fare should be. This is true in Bangkok as well as Manila.

Thanks for the SIM card tip. I might try it one day. Though with internet, if I saw in the receipt that they charged me for the toll at the end of the ride, I'd assertively argue with them if I had also paid in cash and I'd report them to Grab. Some regular travelers adopt the policy of not talking to drivers to avoid any conflict but also bc they want to avoid sob stories from the drivers hoping to get a bigger tip. I don't follow that policy bc it's dehumanizing and bc it means a less pleasant trip for me.