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Grab is offering passengers in Malaysia the "Quiet Ride" option on a trial basis.
Passengers who prefer a journey, sans the small talk and human-to-human interaction, just need to reply "Quiet Ride" in response to an automated message in the GrabChat after securing the Grab booking.
via Lowyat.net as this feature was introduced earlier in April 2022
Drivers will be informed
Drivers will be informed of the preference and are to refrain from chatting with the passenger unnecessarily during the ride.
According to Malaysia media, the feature is expected to be tested from Oct. 7 at selected locations.
Grab confirmed that "Quiet Ride" is on trial in Malaysia at the moment.
But this is not the first time the feature is being tested as it previously made an appearance in April 2022.
Screenshot of announcement of function to be rolled out
In this most recent iteration of the trial, a Lowyat forum user, PeopleOfPerlis, shared a screenshot from the Grab app and provided information on how the feature is supposed to function.
The announcement appeared to have been blasted to drivers to give them a heads-up on the latest service option and to undergo training for it.
via Lowyat.net
The post from Grab said the platform will be "trialling Quiet Ride" from Oct. 7, to "improve Grab users' experience".
It was explained in the "What is Quiet Ride?" section that the option allows passengers to request for a "conversation-free ride".
"You'll be informed of this conversation preference via GrabChat when the ride is confirmed," the explanation went, as it appeared to have been crafted to address Grab drivers.
The post added that Grab is carrying out this trial as they are aware of how awkward and stressful conversations during a ride can be for both the passenger and driver.
Essential questions still can be asked
Choosing the "Quiet Ride" option does not mean the passenger can expect zero communication.
Grab pointed out that passengers should continue to anticipate essential questions from drivers, even after the "Quiet Ride" option has been chosen, according to Lowyat.net.
Questions that passengers can anticipate include preferred route to take, air-conditioning settings, or music playback.
Grab also said it is still assessing the feature and has yet to set a date to roll out "Quiet Ride" to the mass market in Malaysia.
The trial has been expanded to additional users within the Klang Valley and Penang, while it has been initiated in other areas including Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Melaka for selected users.
The feature was tested in the Philippines and Vietnam.
Top photos via Grab & Unsplash