Beginner’s Guide to PHV Car Rental in Singapore

With Singapore’s private hire vehicle (PHV) fleet swelling to more than 80,000 cars, it’s evident that this transportation sector continues to thrive. Over the past few years, the industry has experienced exponential growth, reflecting the increasing preference for flexible employment options among drivers.

If you are new to the private hire industry, you may be considering either purchasing or renting a car. When you purchase a car, you would likely have to fork out a huge initial capital outlay typically associated with a downpayment of 10 – 50% of the car prices alongside COE premiums. An alternative way to circumvent such high upfront costs would be to rent from a PHV car rental company that allows you to pay the rental fees on a daily basis.

If you are feeling lost or daunted by the sheer number of cars available for rent in the market, fret not as the GrabRentals team is here to help you get started on your PHV car rental journey!

1. Minimum Requirements to rent a car

Before you rent a car for PHV from GrabRentals, make sure you fulfil the following requirements! You will need to be a Singapore Citizen or PR with a valid PDVL (Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational License) / TDVL (Taxi Driver Vocational Licence).

You must also be at least 30 years of age, with a driver’s license of at least 1 year and less than 17 Drivers’ Improvement Points (also known as Demerit Points).

Don’t have a PDVL yet? You can now choose to take your PDVL at Grab@Tampines! Visit our GrabRentals counter at Grab@Tampines today and our experienced staff will guide you in the sign up process. To register, you’ll need to provide your complete medical report and PDVL approval-to attend course (ATC) letter*. Enjoy exclusive perks such as a free $150 voucher if you rent from GrabRentals when you sign up for your PVDL through us.

*For more info on documents required, visit: https://www.grab.com/sg/gcpdvl/.

2. Steps to Rent a Car for Private Hire (PHV)

Before you rent a car, get some basic understanding of the common PHV models. Our friendly GrabRentals staff will also be able to advise and recommend based on your needs.

Car Models for Full-time Private Hire Drivers

Assuming you are a full-time private hire driver, driving 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, fuel efficiency is a key factor you should take into account. Hybrid models such as Toyota Prius, Honda Vezel, or electric cars like Hyundai Kona are popular for their fuel efficiency and cost savings over the long term.

Plus, did you know that GrabRentals has just newly launched our brand new Hyundai Avante Hybrid? As an exclusive deal, should you decide to rent this vehicle, GrabRentals will offer GRBeyond package add-on for FREE, which allows you to get a whopping 29 + 2% fuel discount!

Full time drivers can also consider renting Hybrid MPVs, such as Toyota Sienta which allows you to accept trips with more than 4 passengers. The average fares of such trips are higher than the average 4-seater JustGrab and GrabCar rides.

Car Models for Part-time Private Hire Drivers

Part-time private hire drivers can consider mileage petrol cars like Toyota Vios,Mazda 3, and Toyota Altis with lower rental rates. Mileage cars are a more affordable option for part-time PHV drivers to cover the daily cost of rental.

At GrabRentals, we also offer short-term rental contracts (min. 2 weeks rental) for selected models, which is perfect for new drivers who are just starting out on their private-hire journey.

Part-time private hire drivers who are intending to use the car heavily for personal purposes or are less budget-constrained can opt-for brand new cars. While brand new car rental costs are higher as compared to mileage cars, they also come with incentives, such as a higher completion bonus!

Booking Your Car

Video: Kickstart Your Private Hire Journey with GrabRentals: The Ultimate Guide

Visit us at Grab@Tampines, a convenient all-in-one stop for Grab partners to book your car. With end-to-end support and consultation on various service offerings such as car rental, and onboarding matters, you can enjoy the full-suite of services right here at Tampines.

Click here to schedule an appointment with us, or request for a callback from our staff.

Collecting Your Car

Here at GrabRentals, you can even instant checkout and collect your rental car on the same day*! Our staff will guide you through the entire car collection process and do an inspection of the vehicle with you before you drive off.

*Subject to availability

3. What’s included in your Car Rental

Some of the areas included in your rental package are free servicing & maintenance, 29% upfront fuel discounts,and more! By being a GrabRentals driver-partner, you will also automatically be enrolled in our GRNavigate loyalty programme where you can earn points in the form of “wheels” and redeem them for Grab driver credits or shopping vouchers.

Book your car with us now!

Rent your car from GrabRentals now! We’re the largest private-hire car rental fleet in Singapore. Whether you are interested in petrol, hybrid or electric cars, we have a wide-ranging vehicle fleet available for you.

For new driver-partners, you may visit our website here to book your car online. Existing driver-partners may recontract online here. If you would like to find out more or speak to our customer helpdesk, you can also book an appointment at Grab@Tampines or chat with us on our Facebook page.