Uber, Grab Under Fire in Philippines as Traffic Battle Persists

The Philippines is cracking down on ride-hailing giants Uber Technologies Inc. and Grab, even as the government struggles to solve congestion in a capital clogged by 2.4 million vehicles.

An estimated 50,000 vehicles operated by Uber and Grab are plying the roads of metropolitan Manila and other cities without the right permits, according to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. That has prompted the regulator to order those vehicles to stop operations as it slapped 5 million peso ($98,600) penalties on the companies, it said in a statement Tuesday.

The one-year-old administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is under pressure ...