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Amid reports that nurses in Singapore are being kicked off public transport for fear (unwarranted, we might add) of transmitting the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), private hire vehicle platform Grab has launched GrabCare.
This is a dedicated, round-the-clock, on-demand service to ferry healthcare professionals to and from hospitals.
This was announced by Grab on Wednesday (Feb. 12).
This pilot service will start running on Friday (Feb. 14) from 12pm for healthcare professionals from the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
Grab is working with these two institutions first to get their healthcare professionals to sign up for the service.
This is what the service looks like in the Grab app:
Via Grab.
At present, this service is only available for healthcare professionals from these TTSH and NCID. Grab is working to expand the service to more frontline staff.
Grab said:
"Healthcare professionals, whose quiet commitment to their duty often goes unrecognised, have been on the frontlines from day one. Grab aims to ease the burden of these healthcare professionals who may face increased difficulties in getting rides due to heightened public awareness of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation."
GrabCare is served by driver-partners who have voluntarily committed to providing on-demand transport services for healthcare professionals to increase their likelihood of getting a ride before and after their shifts.
So far, about 2,000 driver-partners have signed up to be part of the service.
"I’m heartened by our healthcare workers who have had the courage to continue their battle against the virus, and we should stand together to do all we can to support them by giving them peace of mind when they commute,” said one of the drivers, Michael Lee, 54.
Aside from GrabCare, Grab has also put in place precautionary and support measures to better protect its driver-partners and customers.
This includes support packages for driver and delivery-partners, comprising vehicle rental waivers, a one-time allowance of up to S$500, and incentive programme adjustments to mitigate the impact from any loss of income due to the quarantine period.
Grab has also suspended its GrabShare service to minimise instances of contact.
Grab drivers can sign up for the GrabCare service via the Grab Driver app.
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Top images via Grab and Gov.sg.