GrabHitch launched in M’sia – new carpooling service

A new carpooling service has been launched by Grab. Called GrabHitch the service (still in beta form) is labelled as a door-to-door service. In short, it’s a service that will match both drivers and passengers – who can be any one of us – heading to the same destination.

“This latest service caters to both drivers and passengers who are cost-conscious. Drivers with extra space in their vehicles have the option of picking up passengers who are going the same way to offset the cost of his/her journey, whilst passengers only need to pay for a fraction of the cost compared to other option of transportation,” said Ngiam Xin Wei, regional head of GrabHitch.

As to how it works, one will require a Facebook account to start things off. Drivers will share their normal driving schedule and routes with passengers. The app will then match the driver with passengers going the same way, at around the same time. Passengers will, however, need to pre-book their ride seven days in advance or up to two hours before pick up.

Once a passenger has been found, drivers can choose to accept the passenger and later work out a pick-up time best suited for both. Meanwhile, the app will launch a GPS navigation system for drivers, to show them where to pick up and drop off passengers who are hitching a ride. Similarly, passengers can get others to join them on the ride as well.

The new service is targeted directly at those who are planning to travel long-distance (above 15 km). It’s designed to cover the driver’s variable costs such as petrol, tolls and car depreciation. Fares for GrabHitch rides are calculated based on the distance of the ride and will be displayed upfront so that passengers can decide whether to hitch a ride or not.

It was estimated that for a 19 km trip from SS2 to KLCC, it would cost about RM30 when travelling via conventional taxis. With GrabHitch, the cost would be approximately RM15, which is 50% less. From Shah Alam to KLCC (30 km), it would cost about RM45 for a normal taxi, whereas hitching a ride would cost about RM21 (53% less) instead.

Perhaps, of more value would be long-distance trips of course. It was noted that that a 360 km trip from Georgetown to KLCC would cost about RM465. With GrabHitch, passengers will see a significantly lower fare charge of about RM71. In percentage, that’s about 85% lower compared to conventional taxi fares. Passengers can choose to pay via cash, credit or debit cards.

As for safety of passengers, Grab noted that all drivers are carefully vetted before they can sign on. In detail, they must be over 18 years old and possess at least a year of driving experience. Drivers will also need to have their driver’s licence verified and are required to go through a background check for any criminal history.

Meanwhile, both passengers and drivers can check on one another through Facebook by viewing mutual friends and pictures for that matter. Apart from that, upon initiating the service, passengers can choose to carpool with persons of the same gender, while drivers have the freedom to choose who they carpool with.

The carpooling service will also include other features such as Grab’s 24/7 customer service, Grab insurance for drivers and passengers and the recording of transactions in Grab’s system.

GrabHitch is now opened for drivers to sign up via the Grab App. To sign-up, they need only click on the GrabHitch icon, select ‘Drive’ and follow the on-screen instructions. Passengers will only be able to start scheduling rides from May 15 onwards.

To kick-off the service, a “Grab Freedom Day” will take place on May 16. During this day, GrabHitch pioneers, which consists of staff from Grab Malaysia along with the first batch of GrabHitch drivers, will be offering free rides to passengers on that very day itself.

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