Quarantine measures in Metro Manila will ease up by June 1st as the government announced that Metro Manila will be placed under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ), some public transportation services will be allowed operation, including GrabCar.
Here are things you need to you need to know about GrabCar Safety and Health Measures amid Operation during the Pandemic .
What's Inside
Grab Philippines said they are ready to deploy 20,000 GrabCar drivers in Metro Manila starting June 1, 2020 and an additional 20,000 more awaiting the special permit to be issued by the LTFRB . These drivers have undergone stricter health and saferty protocol trainings to ensure passenger and driver safety amid the Covid-19 Pandemic.
There will be a 5 Pesos increase in GrabCar fares for each trip to cover for sanitation measures which will be in place. As for surge in fare, there will be a cap issued so it doesn’t go unreasonably high.
Following the public health situation on Covid-19, GrabPhilippines is doubling down on its safety and hygiene standards to minimize risks of the spread of the virus by implementing set of policies supporting the government’s health and safety regulations. Thus, introducing GrabProtect- a robust set of initiatives and features, which include online health and hygiene checklist, a mask selfie verification tool, safety and hygiene certification, hygiene kits, mandatory deep disinfection of vehicles- all in the aim enforcing higher safety and hygiene standards for public transport in the country.
In support of the government regulations, GrabCar drivers can deny passengers if they are:
- Individuals below the age of 21, and those 60 years old and above (unless they will need to purchase essential items, or classified as workers belonging to operating industries) ;
- Individuals who are infected with COVID-19 . Only public health vehicles are allowed to transport COVID-19 positive individuals;
- Individuals who are immune-deficient;
- Individuals who are mandated to remain in-residence;and
- Individuals who are pregnant.
GrabCar will not be accepting cash payments following the government’s mandate for cashless payments on all public transportation. The means to pay for GrabCar will be through:
- GrabPay
- Credit or Card
- Bank deposits
- Cash in centers
- E-wallet
Passenger capacity limit
Each GrabCar will only have a maximum seating capacity of two (2) passengers, and each will sit close to the windows at the back of the vehicle;
Safety precautions
- All drivers and passengers are required to wear facemasks at all times.
- Driver-partners are required to keep their vehicles disinfected at all times, especially every end of the trip.
- Each vehicle is required to have a non-permeable acetate barrier installed between the passengers and the driver;
- To aid in an effective contact-tracing procedure when deemed necessary, passengers are not allowed to book for others. They are required to show their booking code to their respective driver-partner before entering their assigned vehicle.,
- However, exemptions will be made in specific cases of emergencies wherein the destination is a hospital and the account holder or companion was the one who made the booking.
- Driver-partners are required to open and close the doors for the passengers,
- Passengers are not allowed to open the doors themselves;
- Eating or drinking is not allowed inside the car, and passengers are required to clean after themselves
- passenger will receive a notification via GrabChat reminding them of the proper safety and hygiene protocol during the ride.
Aside from the above-mentioned GrabCar also introduced GrabProtect raising Grab’s safety and hygiene standards which include:
● Online Health and Hygiene Checklist
for driver-partners
Grab driver- and delivery-partners have been submitting daily health declarations confirming they are well before starting their day with Grab. By the end of June, the Grab app will prompt passengers, drivers, and delivery-partners to complete the online health and hygiene checklist, confirming they do not exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms and have adopted the necessary safety and hygiene measures before they make a booking or start driving. Drivers and passengers are strongly encouraged to submit feedback through Grab’s in-app Help Centre should either party appear unwell. Individuals who have received more than one report about exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be advised to see a doctor and will have their Grab accounts temporarily put on hold until they receive medical clearance.
● Mask Selfie Verification Feature
Grab’s new “mask selfie verification feature” will help verify that drivers and
delivery-partners are wearing a mask before they start receiving bookings and
orders.
● Distribution of disinfectants to all
GrabCar vehicles
● Installation of non-permeable barriers
in all GrabCar vehicles
● Safety and Hygiene Certification
Grab has instituted and mandated a rigorous safety and hygiene certification for all driver-partners who wish to ply the roads. In this training session, driver-partners are briefed on the mandatory temperature check, the existing government policies and public health safety standards, how to maintain sanitation and cleanliness in their
vehicles, as well as implementing the contactless ride protocol.
After completing the Safety and Hygiene Certification, drivers will be provided with hygiene kits which are partially subsidized by Grab. Each hygiene kit will include a cloth face mask, surface disinfectant, and the non-permeable acetate barrier that they would need to install in their own vehicles.
● Mandatory Deep Disinfection
On top of drivers disinfecting their vehicles after every trip, Grab will also require deep-disinfection of all the vehicles every other day. This will be done in partnership with select sanitation hubs who have deep-disinfection capability. Once cleaned,
driver-partners are required to allow for the chemicals to dissipate prior to boarding any passenger. This layer of sanitation will ensure that all vehicles are safe and hygienic for public use.
● New Feedback Option to safeguard the
health of both drivers and passenger.
Grab will institute a feedback mechanism that would allow for both drivers and passengers to report to our Help Center, any incidents or violations which are counter to the safety and hygiene protocols.
“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 movet the New Reality,” says Grab Philippines President Brian Cu.