GOJEK extends ride-hailing services to the whole of Singapore from 2 January

Source: GOJEK website. Graphic showing the GOJEK app.

Unicorn GOJEK, backed by investors such as Google, Tencent, Temasek and Meituan-Dianping, has announced that its ride-hailing services will be available across Singapore from tomorrow.

“Following our successful limited service area rollout, GOJEK is excited to announce that we will extend our ride-hailing services to the whole of Singapore with effect from January 2, 2019. This means that users will be able to use GOJEK to take rides anywhere in Singapore. Our islandwide rollout is part of our continued beta phase, during which DBS/POSB Bank customers continue to enjoy priority access to the app," the company stated.

The ride-hailing service has been embraced by Singapore as an alternative to incumbent Grab, often replacing Grab as first choice because it offers more discounts than Grab. Feedback has generally been good, and that GOJEK drivers tend to turn up a bit later than expected.

In late November 2018, GOJEK launched the beta version of its app in Singapore, marking the start of a gradual rollout of GOJEK’s ride-hailing services across the island. At the time, the company said the staggered approach would ensure a smooth entry into Singapore and an ongoing effort to improve user experience over time.

GOJEK President, Andre Soelistyo said at the time: “Consumers throughout the country have told us that they want more choice in this sector and with the launch of our beta app, their wait is coming to an end.”

GOJEK also entered the Singapore market with a regional strategic partnership with DBS. DBS and POSB customers in Singapore can currently get S$5 off their first two rides and stand a chance to win a month’s worth of rides in GOJEK vouchers as well as a promo code named after them.

Said Shee Tse Koon, Group Head of Strategy and Planning, DBS Bank at the time of the announcement: “With this new collaboration, DBS and POSB customers will have more choices for their daily commutes. Transport is an integral part of our everyday lives, and we are committed to working with our partners to help make it more seamless for people to travel and pay in Singapore.”

Despite the popularity of ride-hailing and ride-sharing services, 2018 has become the year when taxis fought back, says IDOOH CEO Mark Forsyth. “We see the re-emergence of taxi fleets like ComfortDelgro as taxi companies better utilise technology to their advantage,” he said.

“Even with a good app, taxi companies are fighting an uphill battle of inertia set from the traditional call centre and street-hail model. While ride-share disruption is here to stay, we see the opportunity for taxi companies to use technology to enable a business model shift to create a hybrid of taxi and ride-hail.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) might be the answer for transport services to up their game, said Leon Foong, CEO, SOCAR Malaysia. In 2019, he expects AI to help car sharing companies speed up and optimise processes in the ecosystem, listing screening customers, car inspections, and managing accident claims as potential use cases.

“It is expected that there will be more controversy involving the right regulatory framework to support AI development and there will be further debate around personal data protection. The key here is to establish boundaries for the purpose of the AI application and draw the line between data collection and data analysis,” he said.

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