MANILA, Philippines, May 22, 2020 — To support the government push for cashless transactions on public transportation, Grab Philippines has been working closely with taxi operators across the country to train and help adopt cashless transactions during rides. 

For many years, taxis have been largely meter-based and cash-based, and with the advancements in technology, going cashless has been a tall order for many taxi operators and drivers. Within days, Grab was able to conduct training programs for thousands of taxi drivers and operators, highlighting the ease of using GrabPay for accepting cashless payments, as well as several safety and hygiene best practices that taxi drivers can learn from.

Aside from mitigating the spread of infection brought about by the exchange of cash, adapting cashless payments coupled with the Grab platform’s robust contact tracing system with the DOH, will also allow for improved contact tracing capabilities especially in public transportation such as taxis. 

Starting May 22, around 400 taxi drivers from Baguio and Naga Cities will resume plying the roads, implementing cashless transactions during rides. Awaiting the resumption of public transportation in other cities, Grab has trained and prepared almost 7,000 taxi drivers to likewise conduct cashless rides. For those interested to be part of the GrabTaxi program and undergo the cashless training, they may visit register.grab.com/ph

“As we move towards the new reality, we would need to make significant adjustments in many aspects of our lives so that we can protect both the lives and livelihoods of our kababayans. Over a short period of time, we were able to help our taxi drivers – who are previously cash-based and meter-based, embrace digitalization, and adapt to cashless. We believe that by adopting cashless payment for public transportation, we will reduce the risk of spreading the infection through cash,  but likewise improve our contact tracing capability,’ says Grab Philippines President Brian Cu.

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