Grab Partners with Red Cross and Honda PH to Improve Road Safety

Featured Image: Grab-IFRC MOU Signing: Grab and IFRC team behind the regional plans to promote road safety in Southeast Asia. (Third from left to fourth from right) Mr. Lim Kell Jay, Head of Grab Singapore, Xavier Castellanos, Regional Director of IFRC, Mr Benjamin William, Secretary-General/CEO of SRC and Mr Anthony Tan, CEO & Co-Founder of Grab.

• Launches Driver Academy to build drivers’ road safety skills and knowledge

Grab, Southeast Asia’s (SEA) leading transport app, recently formed separate partnerships with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Honda Philippines to promote road safety awareness and knowledge among Grab fleet drivers.

“It is important to bring together stakeholders for a comprehensive intervention on road accidents, which are a major but neglected public health problem,” said Grab Philippines’ Country Head Brian Cu. “Road traffic crashes are the second leading cause of injury death in the Philippines while, in SEA, there are 101,873 road casualties recorded annually.”

Part of a broader regional collaboration, the one-year partnership with IFRC will equip over 270,000 Grab drivers with life-saving skills and road safety techniques. At the same time, it will tap Grab’s call center agents as a first-responder network during disaster and emergency situations.

The partnership also entails promoting a progressive road safety education in SEA, with Grab undertaking the role as official transportation partner to distribute road safety education materials and simple life-saving messages to passengers.

In a separate announcement, Grab Philippines has also launched the Grab Driver Academy in partnership with the Honda Safety Driving Center. The pioneering road education program aims to periodically up-skill Grab drivers in customer service and safety driving, by training them in essential yet practical techniques on efficiency driving and proper risk management while on the road.

Just recently, Grab and Honda held a 3-day training workshop for GrabTaxi drivers from Manila, Baguio, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and Davao.

“Road safety is a multi-sectoral challenge as such all sectors need to be engaged in the advocacy for road crash injury prevention. Eventually, road accidents should no longer be seen as an unpredictable outcome of road transport. We’re continuously working with different stakeholders to provide safe and reliable transportation,” Cu said.

Safety has always been at the forefront of Grab’s mission. With Honda Safety Driving Center, Grab drivers were taught with defensive driving techniques, road safety and precautions, and traffic laws and violations.

About Grab

Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing platform. We solve critical transportation challenges and make transport freedom a reality for 620 million people in Southeast Asia. Grab began as a taxi-hailing app in 2012, but has extended its product platform to include private car services (GrabCar), motorcycle taxis (GrabBike), social carpooling (GrabHitch) and last mile delivery (GrabExpress). Grab is focused on pioneering new commuting alternatives for drivers and passengers with an emphasis on speed, safety and reliability. The Company currently offers services in Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

About Red Cross

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network that reaches 150 million people in 190 National Societies through the work of over 17 million volunteers. Together, we act before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. We do so without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. Guided by Strategy 2020 – our collective plan of action to tackle the major humanitarian and development challenges of this decade – we are committed, in this fast-changing world, to ‘saving lives and changing minds’. Our strength is in our volunteer network, our community-based expertise and our ability to give a global voice to vulnerable people. By improving humanitarian standards, working as partners in development, responding to disasters, supporting healthier and safer communities, we help reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience and foster a culture of peace around the world.

About Honda Safety Driving Center

Honda Safety Driving Center operates the FIRST world class training facility in the Philippines that effectively combines highly-organized instructions for both automobile and motorcycle. Its objective is to pursue manufacturers’ obligation of promoting road safety through implementation of road safety education programs for all. It is created to educate Filipino drivers and riders on road discipline, proper safety mindset and superior driving skills. This objective intends to help reduce the number of traffic accidents and improve traffic situation in the Philippines.