A woman has taken to social media to express her frustration over an incident involving her family and ride-hailing platform Grab, which she says left her two-year-old son traumatised.
Jen, a Canadian-Chinese therapist based in Singapore, said in a video posted on her TikTok account on Friday (August 21) that a Grab driver began moving off while her husband was still securing their toddler in the back seat, causing the car to run over his foot.
She said Grab later credited $150 to her Grab wallet as compensation, after what she described as more than a week of persistent follow-ups.
In the video, she also shared that her husband has lodged a police report and is due for an interview.
According to Jen, the incident happened on July 19 as the family was leaving a friend's home in Keppel.
Jen alleged that the Grab driver began moving off while her husband was still securing their toddler in the back seat.
She also claimed the rear passenger door was still open and that the driver drove off without checking that the door had been closed.
"I was horrified ... absolutely stunned. I shouted for the driver to stop," Jen recalled.
According to Jen: "The car stopped squarely right on top of my husband's foot arch."
Her husband cried out in pain while their toddler became distressed after witnessing both parents shouting.
"Our child was looking [at] both of his parents screaming and he became dysregulated and distraught," Jen said.
The Grab driver did not get out of the car to check on her husband and avoided eye contact for the rest of the journey, according to Jen.
"It's what happened after that moment and since then that has been the cause of frustration for us as a family," she added.
In the caption of her post, Jen said that a month after the incident, the family had yet to receive reimbursement for medical expenses, including a $300 X-ray bill that she claimed Grab had agreed to cover.
She added that they were initially told compensation was minimal as a child's trauma could not be quantified.
Jen added that she only received a compensation email after following up daily for more than a week. The $150 credited to her Grab wallet felt "more insulting than helpful", she said, adding that the perceived lack of care throughout the process ultimately led her to boycott the app.
Why speak up now, when the incident happened a month ago?
"I think your family should have a really thoughtful discussion to think whether or not it's worth putting your loved ones behind the wheels of a company that even when something terrible happens, they don't really care to make it right," she said.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, Grab apologised to the passenger and her family for the distress caused by the incident.
A Grab spokesperson said the company had investigated the matter after receiving the passenger's report through its customer support channels and had suspended the driver-partner over the safety lapse.
The spokesperson added that Grab had remained in contact with the family and was supporting them through insurance coverage for medical expenses related to the incident, as well as eligible follow-up care. The fare for the ride was also refunded.
"We remain committed to assisting the family," the spokesperson said.
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helmy.saat@asiaone.com
