About 45% of Grab riders apply for grant to trade in e-scooters
With about three weeks until the Land Transport Authority (LTA) adopts a zero-tolerance approach to the e-scooter footpath ban, over 45 per cent of eligible GrabFood e-scooter delivery riders have applied for a grant to trade in their devices.
But riders who have yet to apply are not necessarily still going about on their personal mobility devices (PMDs), Grab Singapore head of transport Andrew Chan said.
"There are partners who have decided that this may not be the right vocation for them any more... and they have chosen to move on," he said yesterday.
A $7 million e-scooter Trade-in Grant (eTG), funded equally by the Government and the three main food delivery companies here, was launched last month to help food delivery PMD riders switch to bicycles, power-assisted bicycles, or personal mobility aids such as motorised wheelchairs.
Since then, more than 45 per cent of Grab's eligible riders have applied, and more than 90 per cent of them have approval.
Grab delivery riders also have until March 31 next year to trade-in their e-scooters instead of Dec 31 previously.
Foodpanda, which had more than 900 PMD riders in its fleet, said 75 per cent of its eligible riders have signed up for the eTG, of which more than 70 per cent have been approved.
With more than a third of its food delivery riders relying on e-scooters to fulfil orders, Grab had earlier warned of longer wait times and a possible increase in cancellations.
But Mr Chan said the company has not seen too much of a slip in average delivery times.
When asked about the 3,444 warnings issued to riders on footpaths since the ban, Mr Chan said Grab encourages all its riders to adhere to the rules and the code of conduct. A 20-man team does daily spot checks to educate riders.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
