SINGAPORE: Drivers who have contracts with Uber's car rental partner Lion City Rental (LCR) will now be allowed to accept Grab bookings, said Grab in an email to Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday (Mar 27).

A Grab spokesperson said that the company is "committed to serving our passengers and drivers, and this means protecting our drivers' livelihood while ensuring our passengers' safety".



The clarification comes a day after Uber's merger with Grab in Southeast Asia on Monday.

Many drivers affected by the merger had expressed concern over their rental contracts with LCR, which stipulates that they cannot use the car for ridesharing on platforms other than Uber. Uber's app will cease on Apr 8.

Lion City Rental had posted on Facebook on Monday that it was "closed until further notice" and that there would be no change to its hirers' weekly payment and rental.

On Tuesday afternoon, the rental company circulated an SMS to its hirers to reiterate that their rental would not be impacted, and that it was working with Grab to "onboard" its hirers onto Grab's platform.



Uber's rental partner Lion City Rental has circulated this SMS to its hirers. (Screengrab)

After their contract with LCR expires, these drivers can opt to rent a car from one of Grab's 50-odd fleet partners.

Some Uber drivers have also expressed concerns over being banned from Grab's platform for previous offences, such as using a rental car from Uber's rental partner to accept Grab requests.

Grab clarified that drivers who are banned on Grab's platform can appeal their suspension. It added that it will review the suspension on a case-by-case basis.