Grab Malaysia has announced a sign-up bonus of up to RM1,000 for individuals who register to become a Grab driver on the platform. Valid until 31 July 2022, this effort is intended to onboard more driver-partners so that Grab can better meet the spike in demand for transport as the country reopens post-pandemic.

Through this offer, those who sign up as Grab drivers and fulfil a minimum number of trips will earn a bonus of up to RM1,000. This is in addition to subsidies that are already being provided to help them with regulatory compliance costs (up to 100% reimbursement), as well as a referral bonus programme that rewards existing drivers if they help to bring in new driver partners.

“As of mid-May this year, the number of driver-partners on our platform is still less than 70% of what it was pre-pandemic. One of the many reasons is the long and costly process imposed on drivers before they get on the road. We hope that the sign-up bonus will encourage new driver-partners to come on board as quickly as possible to benefit from the additional earnings that are available to them,” said the director of country operations and mobility for Grab Malaysia, Rashid Shukor.

To note, new e-hailing drivers are required by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to meet various requirements before they can officially begin driving on the road. These include attending a six-hour training, passing exams and vehicle inspections, purchasing insurance, as well as submitting documents to various agencies. Cost-wise, new e-hailing drivers may need to pay more than RM500 for the various fees, while the overall process itself can be long and tedious. Ultimately, these factors affect the time it takes for supply to catch up with the sharp increase in demand.

“We hope that this supply and demand imbalance will be transient, as we race against time to onboard new driver-partners. We commit to continue working closely with the authorities to clear the obstacles for our driver-partners, so that many more can earn an income via e-hailing and serve the daily commuting needs of everyone,” said Rashid.

Grab’s latest effort came following public complaints of a steep hike in e-hailing fares just last month, which was attributed primarily to an imbalance in supply and demand. Grab had chimed in then to say that it is taking several initiatives to address the matter.

• TAGS:
• Grab
• Grab Drivers
• Grab Malaysia
• Grab Sign-Up Bonus For Drivers
• Rashid Shukor