In brief: Grab brings on-demand package delivery to Singapore

Grab Singapore has announced the launch of the beta trial of GrabExpress, an on-demand, door-to-door delivery and courier service.

GrabExpress beta starts from October 23, and will operate from 8 am to 11 pm daily.

Source: Vulcan Post

Users of the service – which is already available to Grab customers in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines – will be able to input their instructions and select a delivery point within the Grab app.

The beta version of the service will be available in select areas of central and eastern Singapore. Users will pay a fee of S$6 (US$4.35) plus an extra S$1 (US$1.38) per kilometer for each delivery. Parcels and documents cannot exceed 5 kg with maximum dimensions of  32 cm x 25 cm x 12 cm.

Rival ride-hailing firm Ryde launched its own express courier service called RydeSend in August. However, it was forced to apologize and row back on the service after it indicated that private-hire cars and taxis would be able to make deliveries, contradicting Singaporean public transport regulations.

Grab hasn’t clarified which of its drivers will be making GrabExpress deliveries. But the company said it “has been in constant discussions with the [Singapore] Land Transport Authority” with regards to extending the service to its private car and taxi partner fleets.

Converted from Singapore dollars. Rate: US$1 = S$1.38