How data is ensuring safer road travels for Grab’s fleet

By analysing driving behaviour, Grab can identify if their vehicles need maintenance work. 

Normally, cars need to undergo maintenance once or twice a year, but for vehicles which run about 80,000 kilometres per annum like Grab’s fleet, it may require more visits to car service shops.

This is why Borneo Motors Singapore (BMS) has extended its partnership with GrabRentals to provide a "Total-Care-Service" for the ride-hailing company's Toyota fleet. 

The partnership allows Borneo Motors Singapore (BMS) and GrabRentals to collect relevant data and insights from Toyota’s Mobility Services Platform (MSPF)—an information infrastructure for vehicle connectivity.

"These insights enable us to analyse and predict other dangerous scenarios, which is key to helping us innovate solutions that will mitigate such scenarios. In turn, we can prevent accidents and ensure safer car rides for everyone," said Khee Siong Ng, director of Aftersales at Inchcape Singapore, BM's parent company.

According to Ng, Toyota has an in-vehicle data-transmission device called Translog.

After the data from Translog gets sent to MSPF, the platform will then collate it and inform GrabRentals about vehicle conditions and driving behaviours.

BMS will collect telematics data from GrabRentals and store it on the Toyota Production System.

"This allows BMS to proactively prompt GrabRentals hirer-partners to come back for regular servicing, keeping their vehicles in good condition. This improved monitoring and pre-emptive capabilities ensure that the Grab fleet is travelling safely on the road," Ng told Singapore Business Review.

Ng said the system reduced the downtime from regular vehicle maintenance for Grab vehicles, from the industry standard of 70 minutes to 30 minutes. 

Due to regular maintenance and vehicle monitoring, vehicle breakdown rates for GrabRental's Toyota fleet were at 0.7%, also lower than the industry standard of 3%.

"[The system] eases the driver’s burden to keep track of their maintenance schedule, yet empowers them with information and tools to take charge of their safety on the roads. This ensures fleet dependability, enabling customers to enjoy safer rides, higher service efficiency and increased vehicle reliability on the road," Ng said.

"As the system also triggers warnings on potential dangerous scenarios, this helps to foster safer driving behaviour amongst drivers and hence, a greater peace of mind for passengers," he added.

Overall, Ng said the partnership will provide drivers with a "superior, safe, and reliable driving experience that empowers them to be accountable for their driving journeys."