Grab driver bonus: New Streaks scheme details

Instead of getting a guaranteed weekly special trip bonus of around $300 like he does now for completing 140 rides, he estimates that he will earn an extra $180 each week in the most optimistic situation, assuming he manages to secure sufficient slots.

Moreover, the full-time driver of a year is uncertain if he can get the time slots he wants, adding that it is “not worth it” as he has to take longer drives islandwide to complete “streaks”.

Noting that longer journeys that are automatically assigned will be more tiring, he said the fares will hence be “less worthwhile” in comparison with driving “shifts”.

A “shift”, another scheme on Grab’s platform, refers to a pre-booked two-hour time slot within which drivers get priority allocation of automatically assigned rides within selected geographical zones.

Another driver said many full-time drivers who spend eight hours or more on the road each day could earn lower incentives.

The driver, who is in his late 40s and typically puts in 50 hours of work each week, foresees that he will have to work longer hours – up to twice as long on weekends – just to clock the same amount in bonuses. The full-time driver of six years declined to be identified for fear of being penalised on Grab’s platform.

By his calculation, drivers will have to work at least 52 hours each week to hit the highest tier of 26 “streaks” under the new scheme. And even then, he said the payout of around $280 is “a little lacking”, given the “extraordinary number of hoops” involved in competing with other drivers to book a finite number of slots.

But Ms Tiffany Ang, 50, a private-hire driver of 10 years, said the new scheme will immediately benefit some drivers who accept rides when there are fewer other drivers on the road.

Drivers who benefit from doing “shifts” now might see lower earnings at first, she added, but they should adjust their operations to take on a mix of “streaks” slots and “shifts” to “hit the sweet spot for optimal incentives”.

During periods of high demand, Ms Ang said, drivers will earn more from “streaks”, given the surge fares. But during off-peak periods, drivers should expect to earn less.

Another driver who wanted to be identified only as Mr Wong thinks that the bonus he could earn from “streaks” is on a par with that of completing “shifts”.

But the 42-year-old’s main gripe with the new system is the possibility that drivers could be assigned long-distance trips to remote areas, which reduce their chances of completing two trips within the two-hour “streaks” slot.

He added that drivers doing “streaks” could earn less in terms of monthly rebates – which they receive from completing different numbers of trips – since they would have to travel longer distances and hence clock a smaller number of trips in total.

But he noted that “streaks” may be suitable for drivers who prefer guaranteed earnings from each “streak” completed.

Grab said on its website that new features in the latest version of “streaks” include more available timings for slots, the ability to book back-to-back “streaks” slots and islandwide coverage for trips.

A Grab spokeswoman told ST that this version of “streaks” has taken into account feedback from drivers and the union, which resulted in the changes.

She said the number of “streaks” slots is designed to match passenger demand with driver supply, with more slots available during peak periods.

“We understand that moving from a longstanding programme to the new ‘streaks’ structure represents a change for our driver-partners. Our goal is to ensure this shift brings clear benefits and an improved experience,” she added.

Grab has also rolled out a feature that allows drivers eight seconds to cancel automatically assigned trips, she added.

Based on feedback from more than 400 drivers who were part of two pilots, the feedback has been positive, she said.

Mr Raven Lee, executive secretary of NPHVA, said Grab had engaged with the association in several discussions ahead of the roll-out of the upcoming scheme.

After NPHVA raised issues regarding the availability of “streaks” slots and the ability to plan schedules and income with greater certainty, Grab made refinements such as adjusting booking timings and allocation of slots to give drivers more flexibility and reduce idle time between trips, he added.

Mr Lee said NPHVA will continue to monitor the impact of “streaks” after its launch, and surface any issues to Grab, while pressing for improvements on drivers’ behalf.