Travelling with ease—and without burning a hole in your pocket—during peak periods have never been more accessible.
In the current state of things, you’re either a fervent Uber fan or an assiduous Grab advocate (although there are a few of you special snowflakes out there who prefer rhapsodising about Ryde). But, no matter which faction you fall into, one thing is for sure: ride-hailing services are at an unprecedented juncture and the recent launch of GrabCoach is testament to that.
Travelling with ease—and without burning a hole in your pocket—during peak periods have never been more accessible, in part thanks to the advancement of technology and razor-sharp entrepreneurial instincts.
However, while ride-hailing services have become a hit, the public taxi sector has taken a hit.
According to The Straits Times, data from the Land Transport Authority reported a 1.7 percentage point increase in the average of unhired taxis between 2015 and 2016. Putting it into perspective, more than 1,620 taxis (up from 1,190) are now sitting idle in the yards of taxi companies.
To find out how these ride-hailing services are undercutting the taxi industry so heavily, I set out on a quick quest to research and compare the different services and their prices that will also serve to benefit those of us who are always on the go, but would like to keep our bank balances healthy; however, do note that the following breakdowns do not account for surcharges.
Social Carpooling Services: GrabHitch vs. Ryde
Unlike GrabShare and UberPOOL, GrabHitch and Ryde are social carpooling services that match private car owners on their daily commutes to passengers who need a lift along the way; you will be able to book a ride up to seven days in advance sans additional booking fees. Both fares are calculated upfront with internal algorithms, based on travelling distance.
Taking the the pick-up point as a variable and the drop-off destination at ION Orchard as a constant, the average fare per kilometre is derived for comparison:
The verdict?
GrabHitch is a tad cheaper. However, Ryde comes with a fare adjustment feature that allows you to strike a bargain by lowering your offered fare (or increase your chances of a tompang by upping it).
Commercial Carpooling Services: GrabShare vs. UberPOOL
Commercial carpooling services are different from social carpooling services in the sense that the drivers are professionals who drive from their respective ride-hailing company’s fleet. Passengers will definitely enjoy cheaper rides, but for those of you in a rush, the small detours that prolong travelling time can test your patience.
Following the same variable and constant above, here’s a breakdown of the respective fares per kilometre of GrabShare and UberPOOL:
The verdict?
UberPOOL offers a more competitive pricing in the carpooling category even though its prices are only up to 25% less than the conventional UberX fare, and GrabShare’s fares are up to 30% less than GrabCar,
Private Car Services: GrabCar vs. UberX vs. Taxi
GrabCar and UberX are basic private car services that operate similar to taxis. Recently, it was elucidated that these private-hire cars are not exempted from rules requiring car seats for young children under 1.35m tall, posing a certain degree of inconvenience to those travelling with kids as they may be declined a ride due to the legal issues involved.
For a 19 kilometres ride that take about 29 minutes, the base fare, rate per kilometre and rate per minute are broken down below:
The verdict?
Parents may have to fork out more from their pocket to ride a taxi as GrabCar and UberX are proven to be more economical, with UberX offering a fare that’s 12% lesser and GrabCar offering the cheapest fare at 16% lesser.
It comes from personal experience to say that it is always best to have all the ride-hailing apps downloaded on your mobile phone, so that you can always compare the prices before making an informed decision.
I have observed in many situations when there’s a surge in demand for GrabCar during peak periods and fares would go through the roof, that you won’t observe the same surge on UberX; in fact, the fare for UberX was at least 35% cheaper. Under the circumstances that there’s a surge in demand for both GrabCar and UberX, a traditional taxi ride is your cheapest bet.
In addition, always check your push notifications or emails for promotions from these service providers. Although I concluded that GrabShare is a pricier alternative above, it is a fact that GrabShare offers better discounts than UberPOOL. Over the same period last month, GrabShare was offering a $5 promo code while UberPOOL was only offering $3 (pictured below), and that can make all the difference to your ultimate fare.
