The new e-hailing regulation will be effective from July 12 — that’s two days from now — and what this means for Grab users are fewer Grab drivers and longer waiting time.
The new regulation requires Grab drivers to have their PSV (Public Service Vehicle) license which includes trainings and a test. In addition to that, they will also need to obtain e-hailing insurance, annual vehicle checks, medical checks and more.
While the e-hailing regulation was actually announced last year, Grab says that the process only began this April, and only 10% of their active driver-partners have gotten their PSV license. Many drivers have found it tedious to go through the various procedures and others found it hard to complete the whole process while they’re juggling full-time jobs.
According to Grab, a passenger can usually get a ride within 6 minutes but that might not be the case anymore. With the new regulation and the unsatisfactory number of drivers who have obtained their PSV license, it is only logical that there will be fewer Grab drivers around. There might even be those who continue driving without their PSV license and Grab encourage passengers to report these incidents via Grab app.
For now, Grab’s only advice is to ask its passengers to book earlier than usual and avoid peak hours.
