Minutes after he picked up a couple in the early hours of Nov 21, Grab driver Mohammad Fazli Omar, 34, was surprised to find out that a baby girl was about to join them in the car.
Mr Reuben Chow, 38, and his pregnant wife Cindy Lim, 37, had boarded Mr Mohammad Fazli's Toyota Altis at about 2.40am for Mount Alvernia Hospital, which was a five-to seven-minute drive away. But barely a minute or two into the ride, Madam Lim said the baby was already on the way.
Elora-Fae is Singapore's second GrabCar baby, Grab said in a statement on Wednesday.
A baby boy, Ahmad Luqmaan, was born on Aug 12 during a ride to the National University Hospital.
In a reunion organised by Grab at its Midview City office on Wednesday, Elora-Fae and her family got the chance to meet Mr Mohammad Fazli again.
Recalling the events of Nov 21, Mr Chow said that his wife did not have any regular contractions when they booked the Grab ride.
"And based on our experience with our first two children, the entire labour process typically takes a couple of hours," he added.
But just before they left their home in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio area, Madam Lim's contractions intensified. "We took some time and effort to even get into the car," said Mr Chow. The couple were soon relieved to welcome their baby girl.
Mr Mohammad Fazli, who was initially shocked, said: "I did my best to stay calm and focused on driving them safely to the hospital. Thankfully, it was a short drive and the night traffic was smooth."
When they arrived at the hospital, he immediately alerted the hospital staff, who brought Madam Lim and her baby into the emergency room. Meanwhile, Mr Chow offered to help him clean up his car before parting ways.
Said Mr Chow: "We are grateful that Mohammad Fazli waited patiently for us at the pick-up point and did not reject us after he realised what was going on."
During the reunion on Wednesday, GrabCar Singapore head Andrew Chan presented Mr Chow and Madam Lim with a Grab voucher worth $8,000, and a Grab onesie - a one-piece garment - for their baby daughter.
Mr Mohammad Fazli was also given fuel vouchers worth $800, and a hand-drawn thank-you card from the couple's five-year-old daughter, Sarah-Ann.
