Grab unveils security features for drivers and passengers

Grab Philippines has intensified its security measures for both drivers and passengers.

Grab country Head Brian Cu said the ride-hailing company is committed to ensuring the safety of everyone under their watch.

“We are committed to improve safety not only to passengers but also to drivers,” Cu said.

Grab launched a safety roadmap on Monday that it said would focus on four major safety features that would be available by the end of 2018.

Cindy Toh, Marketing Head of Grab, said a more transparent ride would be available as Grab is set to roll out a passenger validation and driver selfie authentication.

This feature would allow riders to link their Grab accounts to their respective social media accounts to verify their identity. Grab drivers, on the other hand, can check in via a selfie to confirm their identity before they could proceed with their rides.

Toh said they would implement a more strict background check for drivers, including checking for criminal records and inspections of dormant driver accounts.

One of Grab’s security features is that it allows passengers to send their real-time location to their loved ones. Toh said the new features will also allow drivers to do that.

A driver fatigue monitoring system will also be rolled out by the fourth quarter of the year to alert drivers if they had already exceeded their prescribed working hours.

Toh said drivers would receive a notification on how long they have been active on the road without rest or in between trips.

Lastly, an in-app data privacy center is now available so passengers would have more control over their personal information.

Toh said this is meant to protect passengers from fraud and to secure their transactions. /ee