Grab Singapore has apologised after its new microdrama, I Fell in Love With My Grab Driver, drew criticism over how it portrayed a potential romance between a passenger and a private-hire driver.
The series stars Regina Lim as Emily and Glenn Yong as Henry. Grab released a trailer on 4 September, ahead of the microdrama’s premiere on its social media platforms on 9 September.
Some viewers questioned whether the premise risked blurring professional boundaries between drivers and passengers, particularly in situations where romantic or personal attention may be unwanted. Others, however, responded positively to the campaign and its cast.
Grab Says Romance Does Not Begin During the Ride
In a statement posted on 8 September, Grab acknowledged the concerns and said safety, boundaries and respectful interactions should not be compromised.
The company explained that Emily and Henry initially encounter each other in a normal passenger-driver setting. According to Grab, their romantic relationship develops only later, when they interact in their personal lives.
Grab said it had deliberately chosen an exaggerated title to match the style of microdramas, which typically use heightened plots and soap-opera twists.
But the company conceded that it had not considered carefully enough how the title could be interpreted in the context of passenger safety.
It apologised for causing “discomfort and alarm” and stressed that inappropriate behaviour or conversations involving passengers, drivers or delivery partners are not acceptable.
Critics Were Concerned About Passenger-Driver Boundaries
The trailer shows Emily getting into Henry’s car as a passenger before the two repeatedly cross paths later. Other scenes feature Henry making a food delivery and the pair sharing deliberately dramatic rom-com moments.
That premise prompted some social media users to question whether the campaign could make unwanted advances from drivers appear more acceptable.
The issue touches on rules Grab already imposes on its platform.
Grab’s official Singapore driver and delivery-partner code says harassment and sexual advances between drivers and users are prohibited, including sexual advances that are consensual. Drivers are also told not to contact passengers after a trip for personal reasons.
Grab did not suggest that those rules had changed because of the microdrama.
Series Targets Singapore’s ‘Sandwich Generation’
Beyond the romance, Grab says the series is intended to focus on people in the “sandwich generation” who are simultaneously managing work, children and ageing parents.
Emily is portrayed as a mother handling multiple family responsibilities, while Grab services and features are incorporated into situations she encounters in the story. The series also includes a hidden identity, a love triangle and heightened family drama.
Grab described the project as its first attempt at the microdrama format and said there was room for it to improve after receiving feedback.
Despite the controversy surrounding its title and premise, the company went ahead with the planned launch on 9 September.
