The newly launched GrabCar Premium service sounds nice and all, and we’re sure it’ll have its own share of users. But if you’ve been waiting for the ride-hailing company to roll out something more practical and inclusive, this might be it: child- and pet-friendly rides courtesy of GrabFamily and GrabPet.
“We are mindful of the ever-changing and sophisticated needs of our consumers, and we at Grab always strive to hear our customers out and out-serve them by bringing new services that support their daily needs,” said Brian Cu, president of Grab Philippines. “GrabFamily and GrabPet are our response to the demand for child and pet transport.”
Earlier this year, Republic Act No. 11229, also known as the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte. You may check our stories on it here and here for the law’s specific requirements pertaining to child safety in both private and public vehicles.
To comply with the new law, Grab has partnered with Combi to equip each GrabFamily unit with one child car seat that meets international child-safety regulations. The seat is suitable for a child aged one to 12 years, weighing 15-36kg, and with a height of under 150cm.
GrabFamily units also come with motion-sickness bags, baby wipes, rubbing alcohol, and tissue paper, and are operated by five-star Grab drivers who have been trained not only to correctly install child car seats, but also to properly secure the young passenger on the seat. The service is initially available in Metro Manila, with each unit able to accommodate one child and up to five adults. Groups traveling with more than one child are advised to bring their own additional child car seats.
For those with furr-babies, meanwhile, the GrabPet service fulfills the stipulations in the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) Memorandum Circular 2019-019, which allows pets to be transported in public utility vehicles.
Each GrabPet unit is equipped with the following features to make the ride safe and comfortable for pets and their owners:
- A pet kennel that can accommodate two medium-size animals (cats or small dogs) or one dog of large breed
- A waterproof liner for the rear cargo area
- A pet barrier
Best of all, pet passengers of GrabPet will be insured.
Like GrabFamily, GrabPet is available only in Metro Manila for now. Initially, only dogs (must be leashed or crated with muzzle), cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters (must be crated), fish (must be in closed tank or sealed bag), and turtles (must be in closed containers) are allowed. All pets must be accompanied by up to four passengers.
Are these new Grab offerings relevant to you, and would you be willing to give them a try? If you’ve tried these new services, share the experience with us and fellow readers in the comments.
