GrabTaxi turns up the heat on Uber in Singapore, launches new chauffeured GrabCar options

Since its introduction in Singapore last year, the Uber-esque GrabCar service has received overwhelming demand during peak hours, according to head of GrabCar Singapore See Ee Ling. With this in mind, it is now introducing a new range of GrabCar categories that consumers can pick from.

In particular, a new four-seater category called GrabCar (Economy) will be added at a cheaper price point, while the premium four-seater category will be renamed as GrabCar+ (Premium). The six-seater and 13-seater options remain consistent. Payment can be made via cash or credit card.

“This will provide more cars on the road when people really need them […] and also allows us to reach out to new customers who haven’t had a chance to use GrabCar before,” See says. Rather than eating into their business, the widened network of customers will then provide a larger network of potential riders for GrabTaxi’s current taxi drivers, she adds.

The premium service is GrabTaxi’s direct response to Uber’s presence in the region. While its taxi hailing service clearly dominates Southeast Asia in sheer numbers, it remains to be seen if GrabCar can live up to expectations. Besides Singapore, it is also available in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Like with Uber, the Land Transport Authority’s latest regulation on third-party cab booking apps in Singapore will not apply to GrabCar as the bill only applies to taxi bookings which are under the licensed public service vehicle (PSV) category, and not to private hire vehicles (PHVs).