At around 10:35pm on Saturday, the 8th of February, Grab app users were updated with a notification informing them that GrabShare services would soon be temporarily halted.
This is, the Grab notification implies, in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak.
JustGrab services, however, will still remain available to users during this period.
ROADS.sg’s best guess that the move to halt only GrabShare, and not the all services, is likely that it is the carpooling side of Grab – which means a maximum of 5 strangers (including the driver) could share the car comparment at once, which would exponentially increase the contagion spread risk. On the other hand, with just normal JustGrab rides, while it still remains that 5 people could share one vehicle, the mathematical risk factor of several unknown strangers is severely lessened, all while keeping Grab services and revenue in check.
Grab also provided, in the app notification, an infographic of “preventative good hygiene tips” as well as tips on how to enact “safeguards for your rides” and deliveries.
There are currently 33 confirmed coronavirus patients in Singapore, with three more without China travel links only announced only yesterday. The Singaporean Ministry of Health pushed up the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) to orange on Friday, suspending all inter-school, external activities.
