Grab officially launches GrabBike pilot in Malaysia

Grab today officially launched a six-month pilot of its on-demand motorcycle service in the Klang Valley in Malaysia.

Photo credit: Afif Kusuma / Unsplash

The GrabBike pilot is part of the government’s proof of concept program. Motorcycle riders often face unique problems and dangers on the road that could lead to traffic accidents. Therefore, Grab is committed to providing best practices to raise safety standards for this service, including providing drivers with safety training and practical riding assessments.

“Safety continues to be Grab’s main priority. All GrabBike motorcycles are equipped with helmets for driver-partners and passengers, as well as reflective jackets for drivers. As with all Grab rides, both drivers and passengers are covered by personal accident insurance,” said Grab Malaysia’s country head, Sean Goh, in an official statement.

Grab users can order GrabBike within the Klang Valley, available for travel within a 10-kilometer radius from a passenger’s current location. Cash booking for GrabBike rides between 9 pm to 2 am will be disabled to ensure safety. And Grab will leverage all of its tech-driven safety features like passenger selfie verification, safety center, and driver safety tool kits into the GrabBike system, the statement said.

The pilot has been available for trial since January 3. It aims to evaluate the feasibility and cultural fit of bike-hailing in the local Malaysian context. Other countries that have this service are Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Particularly in Indonesia, motorcycle ride-hailing, or known as ojek, is a very popular transportation mode as motorcycles can travel smaller roads and move swiftly through traffic. Grab’s regional archrival Gojek reportedly will also bring this service into Malaysia in January 2020 as it has received approval from the Malaysian Cabinet to operate its motorbike e-hailing service locally. Gojek will likely launch its pilot service in the Klang Valley, too, before expanding to other areas in the country.