APSN Banner

GrabFood starts social distancing and non-contact delivery

Source
Jakarta Globe - March 18, 2020

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Food delivery service GrabFood has launched a new "non-contact" delivery system to follow government advice on social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

On Monday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo urged Indonesians to observe social distancing by staying at home as much as possible.

With the sudden surge to 227 confirmed cases on Wednesday, food delivery may be a better option than dining out.

However, the risk of transmission through physical contact still lurks, especially when the delivery driver directly hands the order to the customer.

This risk pushes GrabFood into tweaking their system into non-contact delivery as part of their "KitavsCorona" ("Us vs. Corona") campaign.

"Our drivers and merchants are the heroes and backbone of our operations. As an all-encompassing app, we are obliged to ensure that all our services pose fewer risks for the customers, drivers and merchants using this non-contact delivery," Grab Indonesia managing director Neneng Goenadi said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

To minimize physical contact, drivers will now drop off their orders at the door or any designated location. They will also stand two meters away when the customer retrieves their meal.

"We hope that customers use a cashless payment system to prevent virus transmission from banknotes. You must also wash your hands after receiving each delivery," Neneng said.

Safer food prep

Aside from avoiding close face-to-face delivery, the ride-hailing app is also practicing more hygienic food prep to keep the virus at bay.

For its partnered merchants, necessary safety measures when preparing food include wearing hairnets, masks and gloves.

Staff under its cloud kitchen service, GrabKitchen, undergo a thorough thermal check to ensure the food served is virus-free. Disinfectants are also sprayed regularly on cooking stations and delivery bags.

In addition, the first Southeast Asian decacorn also urges merchants to place food bills outside the delivery bag.

Aside from assisting the government in its Covid-19 prevention efforts, these measures are also taken by Grab to spare food and beverages businesses from Covid-19's economic impact in the long-run.

With the end of the pandemic still unknown, it takes an active collaboration between all stakeholders and the government to curb its effects.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/lifestyle/grabfood-starts-social-distancing-and-noncontact-delivery

Country