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Business Times
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Grab to roll out autonomous shuttle bus trial at one-north
[Singapore] Grab announced the launch of its first autonomous electric shuttle bus pilot on Tuesday (Jul 8) in Singapore, in collaboration with Autonomous A2Z (A2Z), a Korean full-stack autonomous vehicle technology manufacturer. Starting tomorrow, the self-driving shuttle will operate on a fixed 3.9km route between Grab's headquarters at one-north and the nearby one-north MRT station. The autonomous shuttle will serve Grab employees for two hours daily during off-peak periods, with additional hours dedicated to further training. Grab and A2Z will closely monitor ride performance and safety outcomes before opening up more time slots. The vehicle is equipped with A2Z's full-stack autonomous technology and Grab's Internet of Things (IoT) systems, and will operate with a trained safety driver onboard at all times. It is also equipped with 11 sensors and has a 360-degree view of its surroundings, enabling it to detect and safely manoeuvre around new objects and sudden obstacles. 'Safety is Grab's top priority, and we are committed to taking a cautious and calibrated approach to autonomous technology pilots,' said Yee Wee Tang, Grab's regional head of operations. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'Through this initiative, we are evaluating the safety performance of autonomous technologies and exploring the potential new job opportunities this sector could create,' he added. A2Z's managing director Ryan Kim said the trial is the company's first deployment in Singapore and will help test the commercial viability of autonomous shuttles in Singapore, as well as explore their potential to alleviate manpower shortages in Singapore's public transport sector. As part of the trial, Grab is also training driver-partners and members of the National Private Hire Vehicles Association to become part-time safety drivers, with five already enrolled in the programme. The pilot comes on the heels of Grab's regional partnerships with several autonomous vehicle firms, and is part of its broader strategy to support Singapore's autonomous vehicle ambitions.
Business Times
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July
[SINGAPORE] Singapore's sixth and newest taxi operator GrabCab has hit the roads, with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July, and more cabs expected in the next three years. Its flag-down fare is S$4.60 for a standard four-seater vehicle, while distance rates are 26 Singapore cents for every 400m under 10km, and 26 cents for every 350m after 10km. A fee of 26 cents will be charged for every 45 seconds of waiting. Fares for taxis under ComfortDelGro, Trans-Cab, Strides Premier and Prime Taxi are comparable. GrabCab was launched on Jul 2 with a flag-off ceremony at Grab's headquarters in one-north. The taxi operator, a subsidiary of Grab's rental arm GrabRentals, announced its entry into the market on June 4, with 40 new fifth-generation electric hybrid Toyota Prius cars. Under the terms of its street-hail operator licence, GrabCab has three years to progressively expand its fleet to meet the minimum fleet size requirement of 800 cabs. The operator aims to achieve the target before the third year, said a Grab spokesperson. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Grab had said in June that it will add two more models to its fleet, including the electric hybrid Hyundai Kona from August and a fully electric vehicle 'some time' in 2025. The Hyundai Kona will be up for rental from Jul 3. Rental rates for a GrabCab vehicle start at S$106.20 a day, and with incentives, the rate falls to S$95.70 a day. This is comparable to the S$117 rental rate for a Toyota Prius under taxi giant ComfortDelGro, S$109.80 for one under Prime Taxi, and S$100 a day at Strides Premier. Fourteen Toyota Prius cars were involved in the flag-off, and some 30 drivers with the new taxi operator attended the event. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Grab's group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang said: 'Ride-hailing apps work great for many commuters, but there are still groups like the older residents and overseas visitors who continue to need a street-hail service, and taxis fill the gap. 'At the same time, by bringing taxis and private-hire vehicles together on one platform, we're strengthening the overall network to provide more reliable and accessible rides for commuters across Singapore.' GrabCab also offers industry-first features such as a safe driving bonus, which rewards accident-free driving with up to S$3,000 over three years, and a relief-matching system in the driver app that lets main drivers connect with relief drivers. One of the fleet's new drivers, Kevin Heng, said he did not expect to join the taxi industry so soon. The 45-year-old was a delivery rider for four years before joining GrabCab, but was initially undecided between driving a taxi or a private-hire vehicle. Heng eventually chose a taxi after doing his homework by reading forums, due to benefits such as flexibility for street-hail pickups. His father, who was a ComfortDelGro taxi driver for 15 years, also encouraged him to consider the taxi industry. Heng signed with GrabCab for one year to 'try out' and for benefits such as leave and insurance coverage – drivers have accident coverage and up to two weeks of medical leave. Fees for the course to get the taxi driver's vocational licence are also fully funded by GrabCab. 'My friends all discouraged me and said driving a taxi is for old people,' Heng said. 'But I think this misconception must change.' THE STRAITS TIMES
Straits Times
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox GrabCab launched on July 2 with a flag-off ceremony at Grab's headquarters in one-north. SINGAPORE – Singapore's sixth and newest taxi operator GrabCab has hit the roads with over 40 cabs in its fleet now and more cabs expected in the next three years. Its flag-down fare is $4.60 for a standard four-seater vehicle, while distance rates are 26 cents for every 400km under 10km and 26 cents for every 350m after 10km. A fee of 26 cents will be charged for every 45 seconds of waiting. Fares for taxis under ComfortDelGro, Trans-Cab, Strides Premier and Prime Taxi are comparable. GrabCab launched on July 2 with a flag-off ceremony at Grab's headquarters in one-north. The subsidiary of Grab's rental arm GrabRentals announced its entry into the market on June 4, with 40 new fifth-generation electric hybrid Toyota Prius cars. Under the terms of its street-hail operator licence, GrabCab has three years to progressively expand its fleet to meet the minimum fleet size requirement of 800 cabs. The operator aims to achieve the target before the third year, said a Grab spokesperson. Grab had said in June that it will add two more models to its fleet, including the electric hybrid Hyundai Kona from August and a fully electric vehicle 'some time' in 2025. The Hyundai Kona will be up for rental from July 3. Rental rates for a GrabCab vehicle start at $117 a day, with the first 100 drivers who sign up getting a rate of $112 a day. This is comparable to a $117 rental rate for a Toyota Prius under taxi giant ComfortDelGro, $109.80 for one under Prime Taxi and $100 a day at Strides Premier. Fourteen Toyota Prius cars were involved in the flag-off, and some 30 drivers with the new taxi operator attended the event. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Grab's group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang said: 'Ride-hailing apps work great for many commuters, but there are still groups like the older residents and overseas visitors who continue to need a street-hail service, and taxis fill the gap. 'At the same time, by bringing taxis and private-hire vehicles together on one platform, we're strengthening the overall network to provide more reliable and accessible rides for commuters across Singapore.' GrabCab also offers industry-first features including a safe driving bonus, which rewards accident-free driving with up to $3,000 over three years, and a relief-matching system in the driver app that lets main drivers connect with relief drivers. One of the fleet's new drivers, Mr Kevin Huang, said he did not expect to join the taxi industry so soon. The 45-year-old was a delivery rider for four years before joining GrabCab, but he was initially undecided between a taxi and a private-hire vehicle. Mr Huang eventually decided to drive a taxi after doing his homework on forums, due to benefits such as flexibility for street-hail pick-ups. His father, who was a ComfortDelGro taxi driver for 15 years, also encouraged him to consider the taxi industry. He then signed with GrabCab for one year to 'try out' and for benefits such as leave and insurance coverage – drivers have accident coverage and up to two weeks of medical leave. Fees for the course to get the taxi driver's vocational licence are also fully funded by GrabCab. 'My friends all discouraged me and said driving a taxi is for old people,' Mr Huang said. 'But I think this misconception must change.'
