300 Grab riders stage protest, want issues resolved in 5 days

 

A group of about 300 Grab delivery riders gathered outside the company’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya this evening over its revamped fare structure.

PETALING JAYA: A group of about 300 Grab delivery riders staged a peaceful protest outside the tech giant’s headquarters this evening, demanding the company resolve several issues affecting them.

Their main demand is for Grab to reinstate the previous base fare of RM5 for deliveries within the Klang Valley, which was reduced to RM4 earlier this week.

Their gripe is that the previous fare of RM5 was already low for riders.

Previously, Persatuan Perpaduan Rakan Penghantar Malaysia (Penghantar) also called for government intervention following Grab’s move to revamp its earnings framework, saying it was opaque and that the new rates were low.

During today’s protest, Penghantar’s representatives met with Grab’s management.

The association’s vice-president, Abdul Hakim Abdul Rani, said discussions with Grab went smoothly.

Aside from relaying their demands on the base fare for deliveries, Hakim said they wanted the company to maintain pickup bonuses for riders.

“We have received complaints from fellow Grab delivery riders that some of them have not been receiving the pickup bonus,” Hakim said, adding that they will wait for Grab’s response.

He said another protest involving more riders will be held next week if their demands are not met in five days.

Also at the protest was Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, who is the Machang MP.

Meanwhile, Grab said it recognised the riders’ concerns over the new fare structure and that it is actively engaging with them to address their concerns.

In a statement, the company said it aims to provide fair and sustainable earning opportunities while investing in promotions and incentives to support deliverymen.

However, it claimed that it observed “a good number of active delivery partners” benefitting from the new fare structure over the past few days.

“They benefit from our incentives during peak hours and receive fairer total compensation for time spent and distance travelled in order to complete the job,” it said. - FMT