Singapore, 03 November 2016 – Grab, the leading ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia, has been awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification, becoming the first in the ride-hailing industry worldwide to be recognised for its strong internal governance and quality management standards. Grab continues to set best-in-class standards for the nascent ride-hailing industry, with operational processes that are as or more stringent than traditional taxi and public transport operators.

To receive the certification, Grab went through a rigorous process and satisfied a demanding list of requirements set by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). Applicable across all six markets that Grab operates in – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – the certification validates Grab’s quality management systems, such as the handling of passenger enquiries, driver screening and onboarding processes, internal governance, as well as products and service offerings.

“Disruptive services like ride-hailing have been transformative for Southeast Asian cities, creating more jobs and providing safer transport options. Grab services are viewed as a long-term solution to improve public transport in Southeast Asia. I’m proud that Grab is setting the best practice processes, while new guidelines are being established for the relatively new ride-hailing industry. The ISO 9001:2015 certification affirms that Grab is the most trusted transport partner for governments, businesses and consumers,” said Anthony Tan, Group CEO and Co-founder of Grab.

“The ISO certification demonstrates our commitment to quality and safety, and underscores the robustness of our driver registration and training processes. With the Private Hire Driver’s Vocational License coming into effect first half of 2017, we are confident we have established a strong foundation to help GrabCar drivers attain their vocational licenses,” added Lim Kell  Jay, Head of Grab Singapore.

Grab sets best practice processes in service, safety and driver screening for nascent ride-hailing industry

With the ISO 9001:2015 certification, Grab’s passengers, driver-partners and stakeholders can expect:

• Ensuring Quality Drivers: Grab’s driver-partner monitoring process has always been rigorous. With ISO requirements, passengers can have even more assurance that only quality drivers are retained on Grab’s platform. The screening, monitoring and actions taken on the code of conduct for driver-partners will also be kept fair and just, systematic and consistent for all. Safety incidents will also be reported on a regional level and investigated with root cause analysis and corrective actions.

• More Avenues for Feedback: Passengers and drivers have always been able to provide feedback via a range of channels be it in-app or through Grab’s customer service hotline and local support centres. With ISO certification, Grab has introduced a Customer Satisfaction Survey for corporate consumers.

• Maintaining High and Consistent Service Standards: Grab has all core business processes documented and standard operating procedures registered in accordance with ISO’s guidelines. This ensures the consistency of our operations across all services, be it taxis, cars, bike or delivery.

• Stronger Privacy Protocols: With ISO 9001:2015 certification, the ISO certification body has approved and will continue to audit Grab’s handling of personal information of passengers and driver-partners. This provides an added guarantee that the privacy of all passengers and driver-partners is protected at all times.

• Greater transparency and improved traceability: Companies certified by ISO 9001:2015 are required to document any changes to operational processes on a shared portal and with proper version controls. This ensures transparency, traceability, and knowledge sharing, making work processes more systematic and efficient.

• Pushing the Boundaries of Road Safety in Thailand: While backseat seatbelts are not mandatory in Thailand but recommended by the assessment body, Grab Thailand raised the bar by making backseat passenger seatbelt a mandatory feature in new vehicles. Passenger can now enjoy safer travel and greater peace of mind when riding in a Grab vehicle.

The ISO 9001:2015 certification is the latest version of the world’s leading quality management standard and helps businesses and organisations work more efficiently and improve customer satisfaction. Grab was awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification following a comprehensive audit of the company’s internal processes by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance.