Grab has recently announced GrabProtect, a comprehensive set of safety and hygiene tech features, partnerships, and strict safety policies to minimise risks of the spread of COVID-19. As part of the program, Grab will be distributing hygiene kits including hand sanitisers and disinfectant spray to over 100,000 driver– and delivery-partners toprotect their vehicles and delivery bags.
Governments across Southeast Asia are gradually lifting movement restrictions and restarting national economies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, worries of a ‘second wave’ of infections remain. In a recent survey of ride-hailing users, consumers in Malaysia said that wearing masks (79%), providing hand sanitisers in-car (74%), and disinfecting car surfaces (60%) are the three most important preventive measures against COVID-19.
“With GrabProtect, we are setting a higher bar for safety and hygiene standards in ride-hailing and delivery services. This new hygiene routine starts before ride even starts: with ensuring drivers and users are healthy and have taken the necessary precautions before booking a ride, giving people the flexibility to cancel and provide feedback to Grab if either party is not wearing a mask, and encouraging safer and more hygienic practices like frequent hand sanitisation and use of cashless payment.” said Rashid Shukor, Head of Operations, Grab Malaysia.
The measures include:
1. New technology-enabled features to ensure higher safety standards
Grab is rolling out a new in-app feature – an online health and hygiene declaration form – across Malaysia in June.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Grab’s driver and delivery-partners have started voluntarily submitting daily health declarations through the Grab Driver App. The new online health and hygiene declaration feature, will require all driver- and delivery-partners, as well as passengers to declare the following, before they can start driving, delivering orders or book a ride:
- that they do not exhibit COVID-19 symptoms,
- they have adopted the necessary safety and hygiene measures
- they have not had close contact with a COVID-19 patient in the last 14 days
2. One million masks and over 100,000 hygiene kits distributed to drivers and delivery partners nationwide
In Malaysia, Grab is partnering with manufacturers and leading brands, such as Dettol, to purchase hygiene products at discounted rates, making it available for our drivers and delivery-partners free of charge. Over the last few months, Grab has delivered more than 1 million masks and hygiene kits directly to the homes of our delivery partners nationwide
This time around, Grab will be distributing hygiene kits to over 100,000 driver- and delivery-partners across the nation, including items such as hand sanitisers and disinfectant spray to protect their vehicles and delivery bags. Car and delivery bag disinfection services will also be made available, at a subsidised fee, to Grab driver- and delivery-partners at selected locations.
3. New 6 step process to empower users to make the right choices about safety
Currently, Grab drivers and delivery-partners are required to wear a mask whenever they are on the Grab platform. The same requirement will be extended to passengers to mask-up. If either party shows up without a mask on, passengers and driver-partners can cancel the booking by selecting “driver/passenger did not wear a mask” as their cancellation reason.
Grab has also updated its in-app ratings and feedback feature as well as Help Centre with options to report health and hygiene-related concerns. These enable users to provide feedback to Grab if a driver may seem unwell or was not wearing a mask during the ride. Grab monitors this feedback and will take necessary actions to protect the safety and well-being of its users.
“Ensuring the health and well-being of the community is a shared responsibility. This pandemic has shown us that we are more connected than we think. Everyone has a part to play to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Grab will continue to raise the bar for safety in our industry, and partner with governments and businesses in this journey,” added Rashid.