Grab driver-partners can now create audio reports to share road incidents in real-time

Victor Liang, Head of Data Science, Geo Services

. January 22, 2025 . Regional

Southeast Asian roads can be unpredictable—from sudden traffic jams to flash floods. Thanks to our driver-partners’ crucial role in creating a real-time map of road conditions across the region, Grab’s voice reporting feature now keeps GrabMaps more up-to-date, fundamentally changing how we track and respond to road incidents.

The evolution of incident reporting

Previously, drivers had to use a button-based system to report incidents, which could require several clicks and was potentially distracting while driving. For complex issues like map errors or changes in gate opening hours, it could require several clicks to make a report.

That’s why we introduced voice-based incident reporting. Now, drivers can simply press a microphone button and speak their reports, making it significantly easier to share real-time information while keeping their focus on the road.

Voice reports and AI-powered processing

The system leverages advanced AI, specifically GPT models, to understand and categorize reported issues accurately. When a driver reports an incident, our AI backend processes these voice notes in real-time, providing immediate feedback. This instant processing ensures that critical information reaches other drivers quickly, helping them avoid problems before they become major delays.

Reporting more complex issues

Since its initial rollout in June, voice incident reporting has been gradually introduced to drivers in multiple countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The feature has received positive feedback, with a notable increase in the number of drivers using the voice reporting system to report incidents since its launch.

Drivers have found the voice reporting system easier and more intuitive to use compared to the traditional button-based method. One of the key insights gained is that drivers are using the voice reporting feature to report a wider range of issues, including those beyond traffic, for example map errors or road closure.

This has provided valuable rich information that can be used to further enhance the app’s mapping and navigation capabilities.

Expanding the voice reporting feature

In the next phase of development we plan to introduce exciting features such as answering driver queries and enabling multi-round conversation for reporting complex issues.

Drivers will be able to ask questions about traffic conditions and receive real-time responses. Additionally, the system will be capable of following up with drivers to gather more detailed information when they report general issues. The full rollout of the basic voice reporting feature is expected to be completed by January 2025, with plans to introduce an expanded version in the near future.

By leveraging the power of voice recognition and AI, our voice reporting tool addresses the limitations of traditional reporting methods, making it easier and safer for drivers to communicate real-time issues.

This way, we are constantly updating GrabMaps with and for our community of driver-partners, making every journey better for everyone on the road.

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