Well, for better or for worse, Metro Manila is once again shifting back to general community quarantine (GCQ). President Rodrigo Duterte announced the move late last night during a press conference, and along with it, the resumption of public transportation in a limited capacity.
If you’re one of the probably countless commuters out there who are iffy about taking the bus or train during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll be happy to know Grab will be resuming GrabCar trips beginning tomorrow, August 19, 2020.
GrabCar rides will be available between 5am and 10pm, while the ride-hailing firm’s GrabBayanihan car service for frontline healthcare workers will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Under the renewed GCQ, both Grab drivers and passengers are required to wear face masks and face shields. According to Grab, if a passenger fails to wear personal protective equipment, the driver may cancel the trip. GrabPay, debit card, and credit card will also be the only available modes of payments to limit physical contact between driver and passenger.
For those who plan on staying mostly at home during GCQ, GrabFood and GrabMart will be operational from 6am to 12am, while GrabExpress is available 24 hours a day. Looking for more information on the company’s services during the pandemic? You can check out everything you need to about Grab operations under GCQ here.
It’s been a pretty busy past few months for Grab in the Philippines. In June, the firm confirmed that local operations were indeed affected by region-wide layoffs. One month later, Grab Philippines announced that president former Brian Cu would be stepping down from his position to “focus other business interests as an entrepreneur in the startup scene.”
Will you be booking Grab rides now that Metro Manila has shifted back to a GCQ period, or do you still feel unsafe about taking public transportation in general? Let us know what you think in the comments.
For more of our stories on the ongoing crisis, click here. For the latest news and updates on COVID-19, check out reportr.world/covid-19.
