Grab 1 – 0 LTA
Two decades ago, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) launched a “Share-a-Cab” initiative, hoping that the limited taxi supply was able to cater to the demand, especially during peak-hours.
It was discontinued as “most commuters were reluctant to share a taxi with strangers” and basically people weren’t as open to such a concept just yet. A quick look at Pair Taxi; this transport app promises to book you a taxi in the Central Business District (CBD) during the evening rush hours as long as you share your ride with others. Unfortunately, two-year old app isn’t much of a hit and was discontinued after LTA deemed its fare model to be out of their regulatory framework.
However, recently, there has largely been a shift in mindsets when it comes to sharing rides with strangers. Singaporeans are now changing their tunes after realising how much cheaper and convenient shared rides can be, thanks to the likes of Grab and Uber.
Taxi-Sharing Via Grab
In a move to revive LTA’s original initiative, the ride-hailing company Grab is finally bringing back taxi-sharing services via GrabShare.
For those who have yet to jump onto the ride-sharing bandwagon, GrabShare essentially helps you book a shared ride. With up to 30% fare savings as compared to GrabCar, it is a much more economical option if you can’t seem to give up your daily commutes on Grab.
With the addition of taxis, there will be enough cars on the road for users to quickly book a shared ride from. You will be assigned either a taxi or a car to share – whichever is best matched to your destination.
Partnership With Local Taxi Companies
To kick off this initiative, Grab is tying up with five taxi companies for this service – namely HDT Taxis, Premier Taxis, Trans-cab, and SMRT. The drivers from each taxi company are selected on opt-in basis, only after undergoing training.
The company promises taxi drivers a 40% boost in their earnings with more income avenues. As a special incentive, Grab says it is offering taxi drivers a 1.5 times fare top-up on all shared bookings during the month of May. No levy will be imposed on shared bookings for taxis this month.
Come 16 May, passengers will be able to use this taxi-sharing service. It will be rolled out progressively; so don’t expect a revolutionary difference just yet. There are no special steps involved – you will still book a ride normally through GrabShare, and the app then will assign you a fixed fare taxi or car for a shared ride.
