Caught on camera: Texting Grab driver suspended
A Grab driver in Singapore has been suspended after a passenger recorded him texting repeatedly while driving, raising safety concerns.
The passenger, Facebook user Tomas Adam Laslo, posted a video of the incident on the Complaint Singapore Facebook page, expressing alarm at the driver’s actions.
“Irresponsible Grab driver, continuously texting with both hands!” his caption read.
The incident occurred on Nov 21 around 3.16pm during a GrabCar Premium ride from Tanjong Rhu to Novena.
According to Mr Laslo, the driver frequently glanced at his phone and typed, sometimes even taking both hands off the steering wheel.
“What you saw in the video is a shorter segment,” the 35-year-old pastry chef explained. “Let’s say the ride was 15 minutes or so. He texted over 10 times during that period.”
Despite Mr Laslo's attempts to caution the driver about the danger, he was reportedly met with a grin and no change in behaviour. He also noted the driver had three additional phones mounted in the car, potentially adding to the distraction.
After the ride, Mr Laslo filed a complaint with Grab. He said, however, that the company initially provided a “generic” response and even sent the same template reply when he followed up.
“It’s clearly a copy-paste situation,” he remarked.
In response to media inquiries, a Grab spokesperson confirmed the driver had violated their code of conduct and was suspended. The company also apologised to Mr Laslo and refunded the fare.
“Using a mobile phone while driving, including texting or holding the device, is strictly prohibited under the Road Traffic Act in Singapore,” the spokesperson stated.
“Driver-partners found to have violated our code of conduct or traffic laws may be permanently banned from our platform.”
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