River Valley Condo Management Clarifies Controversial Notice ‘Restricting’ Riders From Using Lift
UPDATE (28 May, 9.50pm): A Grab spokesperson has said that GrabFood delivery-partners are aware that the signage was made in reference to GrabFood Hub. They are also able to access the lifts to complete their deliveries.
You can read their full statement below.
–
As Singaporeans stay home during Covid-19, many delivery riders are still working hard to get our piping hot meals to our doorsteps.
Hence, it is no surprise that this notice at a condo in River Valley sparked outrage among netizens.
According to the notice, the condo allegedly prohibits GrabFood riders from using the lift, urging them to use the stairs instead.
Shortly after the post went viral, the property company managing RV Point quickly debunked the false rumours. We break down the mini drama for you.
Notice only applies to B1 & L1 of River Valley condo
The notice went viral earlier today (28 May), after netizens shared the Facebook post. Many were quick to condemn the condo for such an insensitive notice.
Jumping in quickly to clarify any misunderstandings, Ocean IFM Pte Ltd which manages RV Point, explains that the sign was not put up by the management.
Rather, it belongs to the operators of the “GrabFood Distribution Point” at B1, directing the delivery staff to use the stairs to reach L1.
Hence, riders can still use the lift to access the upper floors.
According to their Facebook post, this was necessary due to the high volume of orders to avoid lift hogging, affecting other levels.
GrabFood delivery personnel can use lift to reach residents
They share that the building lifts and staircase require the “use of Security Proximity Card or Intercom System” to operate.
Once the resident grants access, the staff can then ride the condo’s elevator to make their deliveries.
Hence, the whole saga is, after all, one big misunderstanding.
Grab has released an official statement on the matter
Grab has also provided an official statement on the matter. One Grab spokesperson expressed:
“We wish to clarify that GrabFood delivery-partners who are delivering food to residents of RV Point Condominium are able to access the lifts and complete their deliveries.
This signage, which was put up in March 2019 by the request of the condominium management committee, is meant to guide GrabFood delivery-partners who were picking up food orders from our GrabFood Hub located at Basement 1 of the building. Delivery-partners were requested to use the staircase when they travel between Basement 1 and Level 1. This was to prevent any hogging of the lifts between the 2 levels which might inconvenience the Condominium’s residents.
GrabFood delivery partners are aware of this signage and know that it is made in reference to the GrabFood Hub. The well-being of our users are important to us especially during this time. We will look into making these signs clearer in order to prevent further confusion on the matter and continue to work with all partners to ensure a good delivery experience for our delivery-partners and consumers.”
Operators are improving poster
The company has urged the operators of the “GrabFood Distribution Point” to remove the poster, according to their statement.
They are currently making improvements to make the notice less misleading.
We are happy to hear that the allegations are not true and hope that Singaporeans continue to be kind to our delivery riders.
One important lesson here, as pointed out by Ocean IFM, is to always verify facts before making conclusions.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Facebook.
