Grab Philippines is imposing better safety and hygiene standards to limit the spread of the COVID-19 for its GrabCar service with GrabProtect.
GrabProtect includes several initiatives, including an online health and hygiene checklist, a mask selfie verification tool, safety and hygiene certification, hygiene kits, and mandatory deep disinfection of vehicles to ensure higher safety and hygiene standards for public transportation in the country.
Following government regulations, Grab encourages these individuals to stay at home and not use any public transportation:
- Individuals below the age of 21, and those above 60 years old, with the exemption of purchasing essential items or workers belonging to operating industries
- Individuals infected with COVID-19
- Immune-deficient individuals
- Individuals mandated to remain in-residence
- Pregnant women
Grab is also following government protocol by following these health and safety regulations:
- Following LTFRB’s mandate for cashless payments, Grab will only be accepting GrabPay and GrabCar via Credit/Debit Card as payment options.
- Each GrabCar can only seat two passengers and will sit close to the windows at the back of the vehicle.
- Only public health vehicles are allowed to transport COVID-19 positive individuals.
- Both driver-partners and passengers are required to wear facemasks at all times.
- Driver-partners are required to disinfect their vehicles, especially every end of the trip.
- Each vehicle is required to have a non-permeable acetate barrier installed between the passengers and the driver-partner
- To aid in contact-tracing procedures, passengers are not allowed to book for others. Passengers will also be required to show their booking code to their respective driver-partner before entering the vehicle. Exceptions include emergencies wherein the destination is a hospital, and the account holder or companion made the booking.
- Driver-partners are required to open and close the doors for the passengers, and passengers are not allowed to open the doors themselves.
- Eating and/or drinking are not allowed inside the car, and passengers are required to clean after themselves.
- Passengers will receive a notification reminding them of proper safety and hygiene protocols via GrabChat every time they book a ride.
Building on government regulations, GrabProtect’s policies further raise Grab’s safety and hygiene by implementing the following protocols:
- Grab driver and delivery-partners have to submit daily health declarations, confirming they are well before starting their day. They, along with passengers, will also be prompted to complete the online health and hygiene checklist by the end of June to confirm they do not exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms. Individuals who have received more than one report about exhibiting symptoms will have their Grab accounts temporarily put on hold until they receive medical clearance.
- Grab driver and delivery-partners, as well as the passengers, are required to wear face masks at all times. Both parties may cancel the booked ride without penalty if the other is not wearing a mask via the “driver/passenger did not wear a mask” cancellation reason. Grab will also be adding a “mask selfie verification feature,” verifying that drivers and delivery-partners are wearing a mask before they start receiving bookings.
- Grab drivers and delivery-partners are encouraged to carry hand sanitizers. Grab has also distributed over 4,000 bottles of hand sanitizers and disinfectant to its partners over the last few months.
- Grab has mandated a rigorous safety and hygiene certification, which driver-partners must pass before riding. After completing the certification, the drivers will be provided with hygiene kits, which are subsidized by Grab.
- Aside from disinfecting the vehicles every after trip, Grab is also requiring deep-disinfection of all the vehicles every other day, performed in partnership with select sanitation hubs.
- Grab will institute a feedback mechanism that would allow both drivers and passengers to report to their Help Center any incidents or violations to Grab’s new safety and hygiene protocols.
Grab Philippines President Brian Cu also stated “Safety has always been at the core of what we do at Grab and while we understand that the public health situation remains to be fluid and ever-changing, we will continue to introduce innovations and policies that would protect and support the lives and livelihoods of every Filipino. We have made significant strides on safety, and we will not shy away from making more meaningful contributions to put our passengers, and driver-partners at ease as we move towards the New Reality.”
