Grab drivers won’t see rider destination starting Friday

April 24, 2018

Grab drivers will no longer see passenger destinations on the driver job card before accepting bookings starting April 27. This would help reduce selective behavior of drivers, the company said on Tuesday. The destination masking will initially be rolled out to 25 percent of Grab drivers with historically low acceptance rate. “We hear what our riders want and we will continue to improve our services while making bookings more efficient for our drivers. We will implement non-showing of passenger information before ride acceptance, as it is a major source of complaints,” said Brian Cu, Grab Philippines country head. The move follows the issuance of a show cause order by the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) last week following complaints Grab fares soared due to reported refusals. In a voice message on Viber LFTRB member Aileen Lizada hailed Grab's move to "mask the destination." She hoped complainants over booking cancellations will go down. Grab insists that the main reason for difficulty in booking a ride is due to the lack of cars, resulting in low supply. Cu said Grab sought the advice of Transportation Undersecretary Tim Orbos and Asst. Secretary Mark de Leon on implementing these features.  These app improvements were decided on upon seeking the advice of the DOTr. Passengers will also be required to provide correct and complete account information. They can also link their account to social media platforms. Cu said this is very important as driver safety is a primary concern. DMS