Drinking and driving is a prevalent issue in most parts of the world, and you could argue that the issue is particularly prominent in Malaysia—given the lack of oversight or enforcement of laws governing the matter. Currently, the go-to solution for many would be to leave their cars parked wherever they are, and take a GrabCar home.
But Grab Thailand has announced a new service that brings something a little different to the table. GrabDriveYourCar, as it’s called, is a service where you can hire a driver to drive your car for you. Prices start at THB350 (around RM48), although there are promotions for first-time users as well.
It appears that Grab is targeting the service towards those who frequent the night-life scene, although there are certainly other potential uses for GrabDriveYourCar. For instance, a person who is feeling ill, or someone who doesn’t quite fancy the long jam home could possibly utilise the service.
While the base price will start at THB350, the rate reportedly goes up by THB100 for every 5km travelled—which certainly isn’t cheap. Still, that’s not unexpected. The service is basically an on-call driver for hire, and it looks like it could possibly fill a niche in the region.
What’s still currently unknown is how the drivers are getting to “pick-up” points, or how they get from job-to-job. It’s certainly interesting, and you can be sure that we’ll be sure to try the service the next time we’re in Thailand.
In the meantime, there hasn’t been any news on whether Grab plans to bring the service to Malaysia. While there may be some doubts over trusting a stranger to drive your car, Grab also assures that driver-partners are professionals who have been subject to training programmes, and are covered by insurance.
