Singapore, 28 April 2015 – GrabTaxi, Southeast Asia’s largest mobile transport phone app, announced today the introduction of GrabCar (Economy), the latest addition to GrabTaxi’s suite of product offerings. GrabCar is a complementary service that enables users to book licensed chauffeured vehicles through the GrabTaxi app, and offers users 4 categories of vehicles to choose from. This ensures all commuters can get the type of ride they need. Users simply select the vehicle type they need via the GrabTaxi app and follow the same instructions as when booking a taxi.

Meeting The Needs of Passengers
With the initial introduction of GrabCar last year, commuters were provided with an option to book a ride during peak periods or when in areas where taxi supply was low. While this was successful in helping a lot of commuters since the launch, there was still unmet demand in Singapore. GrabTaxi has been able to obtain data that showed critical areas and periods in Singapore where the demand for taxis is not optimally matched by supply. As such, the company saw an opportunity to fill this gap through the launch of this new segment of GrabCar (Economy), an affordable alternative to the existing offering of premium cars.

“With demand exceeding supply during peak hours in certain areas such as Tuas, Sentosa and Punggol, commuters still often have trouble getting a ride. We saw a need for more options, particularly at a more affordable price point. Therefore we are introducing a new 4-seater category called GrabCar (Economy), and rebranding the premium 4-seater category to GrabCar+ (Premium) whilst the 6-seater and 13-seater GrabCar options remain consistent. This will provide more cars on the road when people really need them, as well as offer a wider network and variety of vehicles under the GrabTaxi ecosystem,” said Head of GrabCar Singapore, See Ee Ling.

“GrabCar will help GrabTaxi serve existing app users better and also allows us to reach out to new consumers who haven’t had a chance to use GrabCar before. This will lead to an even larger potential network for our current taxi drivers as more passengers will be exposed to the network.”

GrabCar (Economy) and GrabCar+ (Premium)
With a growing market of users who desire a lower tier of chauffeured vehicle services, the introduction of GrabCar (Economy) and GrabCar+ (Premium) offers a wider variety of sedans at different price points. Both are 4-seater vehicle options though GrabCar (Economy) offers a more economical fare charge. Examples of the car models offered under GrabCar (Economy) include the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Wish and Honda Civic. GrabCar+ (Premium) on the other hand offers users a premium range of vehicle models, namely the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-series.

For more information on pricing for the different range of GrabCars, log on to the GrabCar website (http://grabtaxi.com/grabcar/) for more information.

Prioritizing Certainty and Safety
Certainty is one of the hallmarks of GrabCar. Therefore, GrabCar consumers are guaranteed transparency of fares with each GrabCar ride. This means that before passengers confirm their booking, they are already aware of the exact fare upfront. This ensures that passengers are not given a rude shock at the end of their ride. The fare is calculated based on distance, location, time, and demand, while payment can be made via cash or credit card.

Moreover, the safety of our passengers is vital. “We work closely with our partners to ensure we have sufficient quality drivers to back the demand. All our drivers have the required licenses and permits needed to operate this service. All GrabCars are commercially-licensed vehicles and to ensure our passengers’ safety, all GrabCar drivers are thoroughly vetted in person before being allowed to use the platform,” said GrabTaxi Deputy General Manager, Jerry Lim.

Getting Started with GrabCar
Download the GrabTaxi mobile application for free from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or Blackberry World and register for a GrabTaxi account via the app. To make a booking, select “GrabCar” as the “car type” in the GrabTaxi app. Your fare (excluding ERP) will be shown on the app once you enter the pick-up point, drop-off point, and pick up time (for advanced bookings). During booking, you can also choose to pay via cash or credit card, whichever your preference. Additionally, advance bookings as well as block hourly usage bookings are available to allow users to have greater certainty and flexibility.

As part of the launch of GrabCar Economy, get $5 off up to ten GrabCar Economy rides till 3rd May 2015. Just type in the promo code ‘TRYGC’ to enjoy this great offer!