No smartphone or access to mobile internet? Wish to book a taxi urgently or schedule a ride in advance? No worries! Your safe GrabTaxi is just a quick and easy phone call away.

Yangon, Myanmar, 6 June 2019 – Grab, the leading Offline-to-Online (O2O) platform in Southeast Asia and Myanmar, has launched GrabTaxiCall, a new service in Yangon to provide live assisted bookings for GrabTaxi rides. In line with Grab’s commitment to continuously improve services for local communities, bookings via Grab’s call centre now make ride bookings accessible to non-smartphone users, homemakers, elders, and other passengers who face challenges with hailing taxis on the street. GrabTaxiCall offers the same upfront fixed fares, convenience and safety features enjoyed on the Grab app.

Passengers can simply make a call to 0997-747-8787 from 6am to 11pm to order their on-demand GrabTaxi for themselves or for someone else, be it for an immediate trip after grocery shopping or to arrange a ride for a relative after a family activity. GrabTaxiCall also offers advanced bookings for up to seven days, bringing flexibility to passengers who wish to plan trips, such as a scheduled check-up at the clinic or a weekly visit to the bank. Passengers can also opt for a two-stop ride, ideal for parents who wish to pick up a child from school without having to hail two separate taxis especially during the ongoing rainy season.

GrabTaxiCall does not only benefit commuters, it will bring additional income opportunities for Grab’s driver-partners in Yangon as the passenger base is widened beyond app-based bookings. During Grab’s trial of GrabTaxiCall from March to May 2019, it was revealed there were more phone call bookings made during non-peak hours compared to app bookings.

Cindy Toh, Country Head, Grab Myanmar, says, “Grab is here to solve transportation problems, provide access to safe and affordable transport and support all facets of society. With GrabTaxiCall, we are providing live assistance to fulfil the transportation needs of elders and passengers with special requests. Accessibility is a key aspect of GrabTaxiCall and that is why we have invested in expanding our call centre which will be operational even on public holidays. I would like to encourage everyone to save the GrabTaxiCall number in their phones as a safe GrabTaxi ride is just a call away!”

Once a call is made to Grab’s call centre, the passenger’s name and phone number as well as pick-up and drop-off locations will be requested by the agent. Following confirmation of the trip information, the passenger will be informed of the fixed fare for the ride, which will be similar to the fare listed in the Grab app. Each GrabTaxiCall booking includes a small standard fee of MMK 300 which goes towards covering the staffing and technical operations of the call centre.

Following approval of the fare, the GrabTaxiCall agent will book the ride and the trip information will be sent to the passenger via SMS. The SMS will include the car type, car plate number, name and phone number of the taxi driver, as well as the estimated waiting time. Passengers should only make payment in cash and will not have the option to change their drop-off location or to use promo codes.

Passengers can share their booking SMS with others to allow them to follow the location of the taxi. The booking SMS includes a permalink which opens a map in the phone browser showing the live progress of the ride. Should any issue arise before, during or after the GrabTaxi ride, passengers can call the 24/7 Customer Service hotline: 0997-708-3330 to request for assistance. In addition, all passengers of GrabTaxiCall rides are covered by Grab’s Personal Accident Insurance.

At a launch event held in the Grab Myanmar office in Yangon today, famous personalities Su Mon and Jessica Mozart took on the challenge of being a GrabTaxiCall agent to facilitate ride bookings.

“I am very impressed with Grab’s call agents and how they are trained to be quick on their feet and to help passengers. During this rainy season, many passengers call for a taxi as they are stuck in an area which makes it difficult to hail a ride. GrabTaxiCall makes things easier for them to get picked up,” said Su Mon.

Jessica Mozart added, “I intoduced GrabTaxiCall to my mother who previously relied on me to book Grab rides for her through the app. I’m so happy that she can now manage her daily travel independently by making a quick, hassle-free phone call to Grab.”

Grab is conducting trials of GrabTaxiCall in Mandalay and Bagan to allow passengers to book Grab rides by calling 0975-010-8735. For more information about Grab Myanmar, visit https://www.grab.com/mm/blog/grabtaxicallygn/  and www.facebook.com/GrabMM.