[VIDEO] How Safe Is It To Use E-Hailing Services Like Grab During The RMCO?
"Everyone was in fear of COVID-19. First week was tough, because there were no passengers at all."
Published for Grab, 20 Jul 2020, 07:17 PM
With many of us working from home and doing our part to flatten the curve by staying at home during the MCO, we weren't using e-hailing services like Grab as much as we usually do
But now, a lot of us are back to working at offices, schools have reopened, and we've even been going on local staycations. We've been slowly settling back into our usual routines as we embrace the new normal.
So, what about Grab? How safe is it to start using it again?
We spoke to a Grab driver-partner and a Grab delivery-partner to find out how the MCO impacted them, as well as learn more about Grab's new safety measures. Watch the full video below:
Meet Farid. He has been a GrabFood delivery-partner since May 2018, after losing his job as a music teacher.
Farid: "Sebelum saya start GrabFood, saya adalah seorang guru muzik. Tetapi malangnya, sekolah muzik yang saya ajar terpaksa ditutup. Oleh demikian, saya telah start in GrabFood."
("Before I started GrabFood, I was a music teacher. But unfortunately, the school I was teaching in had to close down. Hence, I started working with GrabFood.")
Then, there's David, who has been a part-time driver-partner with Grab for five years
David: "Hi, my name is David. I'm a part-time driver with Grab. I've been driving with Grab for five years already. I started driving Grab when my computer business dropped. Since the start of MCO, I switched over to full-time driving with Grab."
David shared that things have been tough for Grab driver-partners, as Malaysians are understandably worried about hygiene
David: "Everyone was in fear of COVID-19. First week was tough, because there were no passengers at all."
Meanwhile, Farid was worried that the pandemic would cause him to lose another job
Farid: "Saya takut kehilangan sumber pendapatan pada waktu tersebut. Tapi, saya rasa agak bertuah kerana pihak kerajaan telah mengumumkan bahawa servis penghantaran makanan adalah kategori essential."
("I was afraid of losing the source of my income during that period. But, I feel quite blessed because the government announced that food delivery services are categorised as essential.")
With their new safety measures and precautions, Grab has been able to reassure the public as well as protect their driver-partners and delivery-partners
Farid: "Sebelum kami menghantar dan mengambil makanan, kami akan pastikan bahawa tangan kami telah disanitasi. Beg kami telah disinfeksi, dan juga pemegang motosikal kami."
("Every time before we deliver and collect the food, we make sure that our hands are sanitised. Our bags have been disinfected, and our motorbike handles too.")
David: "We make sure every morning, we have ample supply of face masks and hand sanitiser. We sanitise the car before we start the journey. There is a new in-app declaration before we start our work. A few points, whether we've done what the checklist requires us to do."
Grab has also provided their driver-partners and delivery-partners with some essential tools
Farid: "Terima kasih juga kepada pihak Grab kerana telah membekalkan kami beberapa barang penting, iaitu kit sanitasi."
("Thank you also to Grab Team for supplying us some essential items, namely, the sanitisation kit.")
David: "Under the GrabProtect programme, we have been given a kit consisting of hand sanitiser and disinfectant for us to clean the car."
Rest assured that Grab has several new SOPs in place and are doing all they can to keep you safe when you use their services
So, the answer to the question is yes, it is safe to use Grab services during the RMCO. Just make sure you're also taking the necessary precautions. As our PM recently reminded us, remember to wear face masks in public areas and follow all the strict SOPs in place.
Click here for more information on Grab's new safety measures.
