Do you have a penchant for canceling on Grab drivers? You might want to be more mindful of this because the ride-hailing platform is now charging riders P50 for canceled bookings.
The measure is part of the company’s ‘Better Everyday’ campaign and is effective starting today. The P50 fee will apply to riders who cancel their bookings after five minutes from being assigned a Grab driver, or riders who are a no-show within five minutes (three minutes for GrabShare rides) of the driver reaching the pick-up point.
Cancellation and no-show fees will go directly to the driver “to compensate them for the fuel and effort they have already spent traveling to the passenger,” Grab said in a statement.
“Grab is mindful that cancellations are frustrating for both the passengers and our drivers,” company president Brian Cu said in a statement. “At the same time, we are cognizant of the fact that sometimes, cancellations are necessary during special situations. Our intention in implementing this new policy is to create a better ride-hailing ecosystem, where both passengers and drivers practice the responsible use of the Grab platform.”
The fee will not be charged in the following situations:
1) If you cancel within five minutes of being assigned a driver.
2) If the driver isn’t moving toward the pick-up location (or going in the wrong direction).
3) If the driver takes 15 minutes or longer than estimated arrival time.
4) If the driver indicates he has arrived but has not.
Grab will also refund any incorrect fees charged within 48 hours, provided it is reported to the firm’s in-app help center. If a rider is paying with cash, the cancelation fee will be implemented in his or her next booking.
On the drivers’ side, they will be locked out of the platform for a temporary period of time if they excessively ignore or cancel requests. Drivers will also be penalized if they fall under the required completion rate (based on completed bookings, ignored assignments, and cancellation rates). Drivers will also be flagged, suspended, or eventually banned for repeated low ratings and passenger complaints.
Grab is also now implementing a new tip feature on its platform, which will allow passengers to tip drivers with five-star ratings.
The company says that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has already been notified of the changes and its new cancellation policy. Do you think this will help improve the platform’s service?
