Photo app to help Grab drivers make pinpoint pickups

A commuter books a vehicle via ride-hailing app Grab in Manila. INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

The Grab driver can’t find you? A picture might help.

To help its drivers find clients who booked its service, Grab launched a photo-sharing feature on its GrabChat app, which could also help clients avoid paying costly cancelation rates.

“Grab is introducing photo-sharing on GrabChat – the first regional ride-hailing app to do so! So if you are waiting for your ride at SM Megamall, or NAIA Terminal III Departure area, and not sure if your driver can find you – just snap a quick photo of where you’re standing and send it to your driver – all through GrabChat,” the ride-hailing company said in a statement on Tuesday.

“This is important in a country like the Philippines where roads can be complex, and pick-up locations may not be as straightforward as ‘in front of the mall’. With these photos, we’ll be able to better understand which locations are confusing, why they are so, and how we can improve them,” it added.

According to Grab, the photos shared between the drivers and passengers would be removed once the trip is completed.

Only Grab would have a copy of the images “for investigation purposes in the event of harassment reports.”

However, it noted that drivers should update the app in order to receive images from their passengers.

“Passengers and drivers should make sure they have the latest versions of the Grab app. If either party is not on a version of the app that supports the feature, the ‘camera’ icon will not be visible and neither party will have access to this function,” Grab said.

The photo-sharing feature of Grab is now available in the country. /cbb