If driver refuses to pick up passenger, he should be the one cancelling: Stomper
Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight.
A Stomper has called out what she feels is an unfair practice when it comes to cancellations on ride-hailing platforms like Grab.
Stomp earlier reported on a Grab passenger who was penalised with a 'strike' after requesting a driver cancel a booking.
The story struck a chord with another Stomper, who wanted to share her own experience of what she sees as a systemic unfairness in ride-hailing cancellations.
She told Stomp she recently encountered a situation where a driver accepted her booking but then called to say he did not want to pick her up.
"Later, he changed his mind, but how can I rely on him if he first initiated the cancellation?" she said.
The Stomper pointed out that Grab warns passengers that cancelling a booking can make it harder for them to get a ride, yet some drivers still pressure riders to be the ones to cancel.
"In cases where the driver refuses to come, the driver should be responsible for cancelling the booking," she said.
"Too often, they call passengers and ask them to cancel instead.
"If the driver initiates the cancellation, it's only fair that the driver completes it.
She noted that this often happens during peak hours, such as near schools or traffic-heavy areas, when drivers want to avoid the destination.
"They may drive around without picking up and without responding, causing passengers to be delayed and forced to request another car," she shared.
"Penalising the passenger with a strike in these situations is unfair, and it encourages drivers to continue this behaviour.
"Grab should address this problem by ensuring that the person who initiates the cancellation - the driver in these cases - is the one held accountable.
"And drivers should not be asking passengers to cancel if the drivers don't want to accept the ride."
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