Grab vows to comply with Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act

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MANILA, Philippines — Grab Philippines on Wednesday vowed to comply with the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed last Feb. 22.

Lawyer Nicka Hosaka, public affairs manager of Grab, said the ride-hailing firm would cooperate in the implementation of the new law.

“Safety is in Grab’s DNA and we continue to support transport safety measures initiated by the government,” Hosaka said in a statement. “Our cooperation in the implementation of this new law is assured as part of our commitment to provide safer rides and more pleasant Grab experience to our passengers every day.”

“Grab welcomes this development, and we are ready to carry it out within the TNVS [transport network vehicle service] community as soon as the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law are made available,” Hosaka added. “We have been working with a third-party supplier of car seats to ensure that the supply complies with international safety standards as well as with the safety specifications under the law.”

The company has around 48,000 active drivers in its platform as of February this year.

The Child Safety in Motor Vehicle Act, or Republic Act No. 129, aims “to guarantee the safety and welfare of infants and children and prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries.”

It also cites the need to “adequately, consistently and objectively require, regulate, promote and inform the public on the use of child restraint systems in motor vehicles.”

Under this law, the child restraint system refers to “a device capable of accommodating a child occupant in a sitting or supine position” and is “designed to diminish the risk of injury in the event of a collision or of abrupt deceleration of the vehicle by limiting the mobility of the child’s body.” /atm