Carpooling service GrabShare to return for two-week trial from Jan 16; for peak periods from certain locations
The locations available during the trial period are Downtown Core, Outram, River Valley, Singapore River, Marina Bay, one-north and Buona Vista.
File photo of a Grab car. (Photo: Facebook/Grab)
SINGAPORE: Carpooling service GrabShare will make a trial return at certain locations from Jan 16 to Jan 29, coinciding with the Chinese New Year festive period.
Termed GrabShare BETA, the pilot will allow passengers to save up to 20 per cent on their rides under the service, according to the Grab website.
The two-week trial marks the return of the service since it was suspended in February 2020 amid preliminary concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak.
When and where will GrabShare BETA be available?
It will be available from 5pm to 11pm daily at the following locations: Downtown Core, Outram, River Valley, Singapore River, Marina Bay, one-north and Buona Vista.
During the trial, the service will only be for pick-ups during peak periods where demand is high to "help ensure the ideal GrabShare BETA experience", noted the company on its website.
"Our trial is over the festive period when some driver-partners may also take a break. So we’re launching GrabShare BETA in this period to make more rides available and at more affordable rates," said Grab.
How many passengers are allowed on each ride?
Only one passenger is allowed per booking, and a maximum of two bookings are allowed per shared ride.
A ride will only be confirmed after two passengers headed in similar directions are matched.
"The match will ensure that you will have no last minute route changes during the ride," said Grab.
If a passenger turns up with an additional person, Grab's driver-partners will request that the passenger cancels the GrabShare BETA ride and book a JustGrab ride instead, the company added.
And if there are no other passengers with a similar route within the area, passengers will be prompted to book a JustGrab ride instead.
Which passenger will be dropped off first?
The order in which passengers are dropped off is determined by the drop-off location, and not the order in which they are picked up.
Grab said it has set up "strict perimeters" to ensure that the shared trip duration "will not greatly exceed" the direct trip time for each passenger.
How long do I need to wait?
The service will take up to seven minutes after booking to find the best match.
Once a driver arrives, the three-minute waiting grace period kicks in, after which a S$3 surcharge will be incurred.
If passengers fail to turn up after five minutes, a no-show fee of S$4 will be charged. The fees go fully to the driver. Passengers are not offered compensation if the other matched passenger is late.
There is currently no option for advance booking.
How do I pay?
Only cashless payments will be accepted for the trial.
For electronic road pricing (ERP) charges, Grab outlined two scenarios in the FAQ section of its website.
"While you’re on the ride and your driver passes through (an ERP gantry with a S$2 charge) en route to picking up the other matched passenger, you will incur the full ERP charge of S$2."
Meanwhile, passengers will split the ERP charge equally if they are both on the ride when it passes through a gantry.
Can I cancel my ride after being allocated a driver?
The GrabShare BETA experience will not allow the cancellation of rides once one is allocated. A cancellation fee of S$4 will apply if passengers want to do so.
The remaining passenger's booking will proceed.
More details about GrabShare BETA are available online.
