SUPER app Grab implemented a pilot run for a safety measure that will essentially record audio and video during GrabCar rides, a move that a spokesman said would “better support” users and provide a new layer of security for passengers and drivers.
On Monday, Grab deployed audio and video recording devices on 180 GrabCar vehicles; of which half will be equipped with cameras; and the other half with audio recording gadgets. The pilot will run for about two weeks to a maximum of six weeks.
“As part of our continuous efforts to improve the safety of our services and to better support our users, Grab will be conducting a small pilot study in Metro Manila to assess the effectiveness of in-car audio and video recording in incident prevention and dispute resolution,” a Grab statement read.
This new safety feature, a Grab spokesman said, is compliant with local privacy laws.
“There is an express notification to passengers sent via GrabChat upon matching with a participating driver. This is the minimum that is required pursuant to the data privacy law,” the spokesman said.
She added: “We have made sure that recordings are encrypted, stored in a secured database, and cannot be accessed by public.”
Should there be no reported complaint or dispute, the audio file will be deleted after seven days, while videos will be deleted after 10 hours.
“Passengers are given the liberty to take the ride or refuse by canceling the ride, without affecting passenger rating,” the spokesman explained. “We hope that this pilot, if proven successful, will bring us even closer to our goal of zero preventable incident on our platform.”
The Grab spokesman added that the new safety measure is part of its 2018 safety road map that consists of tech enhancements to bring incidents to down to zero.
The audio and video recording pilot, she said, constitutes Grab’s “following through with our commitment. It is part of the tech road map we had promised in 2018, which follows features, such as sos button, passenger selfie verification—all of which have helped deterred criminal activity on the platform.”
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza