Grab cutting waiting time grace period sparks online chatter

Ride sharing platform Grab is cutting down on its grace period for waiting time and cancellation from five minutes to three minutes starting from 18 July 2022. Unfortunately, the news, which broke over the long weekend, did not sit well with many netizens and saw a slew of criticism emerge from netizens on social platforms and the likes of Hardware Zone. Overall however, much of the coverage by media and sentiment online was neutral and only 14% negative sentiments emerging, said Meltwater. 

According to the company, users will be charged a SG$3 fee for every five minutes of waiting time should they keep the driver waiting for more than three minutes. Additionally, passengers who cancel bookings three minutes after accepting a ride will also be charged SG$4

In an email correspondence with consumers, Grab said that consumers are “encouraged to book rides only when ready” to ensure ample time to reach pick-up points,” Grab said in an email to customers on Monday.

According to Grab, fees are currently being added by Grab drivers when the grace waiting period is exceeded. Calling the process “tedious”, Grab said this requires drivers to manually track the amount of time they have waited, and also enter the fee after the grace period is exceeded.

“Automatically adding the waiting fee allows Grab to ensure that the tracking of the waiting time is more accurate for passengers. This also reduces the amount of effort that drivers need to go through, allowing them to focus on getting passengers to their destinations safely. Through this improved experience, passengers will also receive prompts about the grace waiting time they have left to board the vehicle via app notifications,” Grab said on its platform.

Meanwhile, Grab Malaysia also recently launched Grab Intercity, giving users the ability to purchase affordable bus and ferry tickets right on the Grab app. The launch of the service also sees the inclusion of direct bus routes to Singapore, helping to minimise congestion on highways, ticket concessions, and even borders, especially during peak travel periods.

“As a homegrown brand, we want to help Malaysians plan their travels conveniently and affordably with the use of technology,” Rashid Shukor, director of country operations and mobility, Grab Malaysia said.

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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