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| Fixing a flat tire for a colleague at night |
Following the GPS
Late one night, when the city had fallen asleep, the motorbike of Grab driver Nguyen Dinh Phuong suddenly got a flat tire. With all repair shops closed, he had no choice but to push his bike helplessly along the road. Remembering Hue SOS 247 - Grab Hue team, he sent his location via Zalo for help. Less than 20 minutes later, a fellow driver in the same green uniform arrived with tools to fix the bike. It was their first meeting, the repair was completely free, and what remained were only laughter and a warm handshake in the quiet Hue night.
Founded at the end of April 2025, Hue SOS 247 - Grab Hue team now has 15 volunteer members and has helped hundreds of drivers. Team leader Truong Tat Thanh shared: “Only those in the job truly understand what it’s like when your vehicle breaks down. During the day, you can still manage somehow, but at night, if the chain breaks, the engine stalls, or the tire bursts, it’s really tough. Everyone in the team is a driver, we’ve taught ourselves how to fix, patch, jumpstart, and pump tires. Sometimes we even help people who have accidents or get attacked.”
To encourage members, Grab Company provides financial support for rescue operations: the first call in a month is completely free; from the second onward, the driver pays a maximum of 40.000 VND. “That amount only covers a bit of fuel and repair materials, nothing much. But everyone does it out of goodwill. When the phone rings late at night, we go, no matter how far. Sometimes it’s 2 or 3 a.m., even in the rain. The money isn’t much, but the camaraderie is priceless,” Thanh said.
Within the SOS Hue 247 – Grab Hue team, several members used to be motorbike mechanics before becoming Grab drivers. Ho Quang Huy, from Thuan An Ward, is one of them. He shared that he drives from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. every night, but whenever he sees a call for help, he immediately follows the GPS, even if it’s as far as Quang Dien or Tu Ha. His motorbike trunk is always stocked with repair tools. “I drive a Wave and have been stranded at night with a flat tire, even if you have money, no one’s around to fix it. So now, whenever someone needs help, I just go. This job is tough, so we understand and care for one another,” he said.
Thanh added that to maintain 24/7 operation, team members take turns being on night duty. “Sometimes after driving all day, you just want to rest with your family, but you can’t turn off your phone in case someone needs help. If it rings in the middle of the night, you are to get up and go. It’s exhausting, so some people can’t keep up and leave the team. You have to be truly devoted to stay,” he said with a gentle smile.
Human warmth amid hardship of the daily grind
On rainy days, the team barely has a moment’s rest. Sometimes, they handle over ten cases in a single day. Many drivers even give up passenger rides when they hear a colleague is in trouble. “Helping others is like helping yourself. You can always earn more money, but if someone needs help and you don’t respond, it’ll weigh on you,” Huy added.
Not every rescue attempt succeeds. Some vehicles are too damaged for them to repair, so they stay and offer moral support to their colleagues. But those moments only strengthen their bond, as what keeps them together isn’t just skill, but humanity in difficult times.
Beyond roadside repairs, members of the SOS Hue 247 - Grab Hue team have also stepped in to help colleagues in accidents or conflicts on the road. In some cases involving drunk or aggressive passengers, they arrive to calm things down. When a driver is injured, team members act as relatives, giving first aid and escorting them to the hospital.
Each trip by the Grab “rescue team” adds a bit of warmth to the hard grind of everyday life. They don’t do it for pay, but out of empathy for others in the same job. Amid the rush of city life, the kindness of the SOS Hue 247 - Grab Hue team shines bright, a reminder that compassion still lives on in the streets.