If you're a frequent Grab rider, you might have recently noticed this new message that comes in when the driver indicates that he or she has arrived at your pick-up point:

Grab confirms that this message is new, but the waiting time surcharge and cancellation fee ($5 if you cancel a third time in a seven-day period) are not.

According to a Grab spokesperson, they had been implemented since December 2016 and May 2017 respectively, and notifications were pushed to users' apps to inform them of it.

But it seems not many are entirely aware of the changes, only noticing it thanks to this recent alert.

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After 5 minutes, $3 charge applies every 5 additional minutes wait

If you're taking JustGrab, there is a grace period waiting time of 5 minutes. After that, you'll be charged $3 for every 5 minutes more that you make your driver wait.

The same surcharges apply for riders of GrabCar.

There is no waiting time surcharge for GrabShare, but your driver will only wait 3 minutes for you, after which he is allowed to drive off.

Reduced threshold for ride cancellation penalty fee from 9 cancelled rides in a week to 2

Now, Grab riders can cancel two rides without penalty per week. It was reduced from 9 penalty-free cancellations in May 2017.

The third cancellation in a seven-day period will incur a $5 penalty for each cancellation, as we learned from Presidential wannabe Tan Kin Lian, earlier last month.

Riders who cancel more frequently also get their bookings de-prioritised, we understand.

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While these financial measures were already in place awhile back, a frequent complaint among drivers is that riders don't know about them, which can lead to a whole lot of unpleasantness:

So if you're one of those riders who like to take your own sweet time or cancel rides because you think it'll be fine and it's not Uber and you won't get charged $6 -- take note that that isn't the case.

So please don't be a horrible Grab rider, particularly since it'll cost you.

Addressing the lack of (and lousier) Grab promo codes post-acquisiton

Apart from these new introductions to alert users of the charges and policies on waiting time and cancellations comes a widespread user observation that post-its acquisition of Uber, Grab's new world order is one that contains markedly fewer promotional codes and discounts:

When asked about this at a press conference on Monday morning, Grab Singapore country head Lim Kell Jay said the following:

"The discounts you get from your Grab rides are still there. You just need to redeem them from the rewards catalogue... I personally believe it's more exciting that way, rather than just promos... With promotional codes, some (customers) get them, others don't."

Quite fascinating, actually.

According to Lim, the drop in promo codes and incentives began before Grab's acquisition of Uber. While he would not provide an exact date, he confirmed that the use of such incentives to attract customers and drivers have been "trending down".

Instead, Grab has been actively trying to woo customers using "value-added" rewards via their GrabRewards catalogue, which includes vouchers for food and entertainment.

Turning more specifically to reduced driver incentives, Lim also mentioned that Grab partners petrol and car rental companies to offer fuel and car rental discounts to Grab drivers.

Meanwhile, here are some new services that Grab rolled out:

Riders who rely on wheelchairs and walkers can now call for GrabAssist. Drivers who provide this service have been specially trained by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to assist passengers with mobility challenges.

They have been trained to transfer passengers safely (from vehicle to wheelchair and vice versa), dementia awareness, and emergency preparedness.

GrabAssist is priced "marginally higher"than JustGrab to compensate drivers for their training and the effort needed in supporting passengers.

When we checked out GrabAssist on May 7 (the day it was formally launched) at 5pm for a trip from Orchard to Bukit Panjang, these were the fare options:

• $19 GrabAssist
• $18 JustGrab
• $20 GrabCar

Grab will also be rolling out a new "premium economy" service called GrabCar Plus by end May.

Here's what you'll get:

1. Newer, more spacious cars that are generally less than three years-old.
2. In-car amenities like mobile phone chargers, air-freshener, tissue boxes
3. Drivers who are highly rated by other riders (more than 98 per cent positive feedback)

According to Grab, GrabCar Plus will be priced "between JustGrab and GrabCar Premium", though you'll need to wait until the end of the month to see just how much they'll be pricing this premium economy service.

Last but not least, the GrabFood app is currently in beta testing. According to an in-app notification from Grab, it's initially being rolled out in the Central Business District and Farrer Park.

Grab is diversifying into the food delivery business after acquiring UberEats in March 2018.

According to Lim, GrabFood will launch islandwide later this year.

[Edit: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that a cancellation alert prompt is a new feature. Grab has clarified that it has been around since May 2017. We have updated this article with the correct information.]

Top images via Facebook and Grab app.

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