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This will be welcome news if you've been feeling the pinch of more expensive private-hire rides recently.

Grab Singapore will be rolling out a trial version of GrabShare during the festive period.

Those who recall the function before it was disabled during the Covid-19 pandemic will know that GrabShare enables passengers heading in a similar direction to pool their rides and pay a cheaper fare.

The latest iteration of the function will be trialled from Jan. 16 to 29, 2023, and, according to Grab, will offer passengers fares that are about 20 per cent cheaper.

During this period, passengers will only be able to use GrabShare if they are getting picked up between 5pm and 11pm at the following locations:

• Downtown Core
• Outram
• River Valley
• Singapore River
• Marina Bay
• One-North
• Buona Vista

Changes to GrabShare

In addition, several new features have been added to the ride pooling service, the most significant being upfront matching.

This ensures that a ride will only be confirmed after two passengers are matched, removing the possibility of unexpected pick-ups with the intent to give riders and drivers greater clarity on routes and arrival times.

Another change from the older GrabShare service is the addition of a S$4 fee for passengers who wish to cancel their ride after being allocated a driver. The policy aims to ensure drivers are fairly renumerated as another passenger will not be assigned to the ride.

Mothership understands that these changes were introduced after feedback from drivers and riders.

For now, the GrabShare Beta will only be open to a maximum of two passengers for each trip. This means you can only book a pooled ride if you're travelling alone.

According to an FAQ on Grab's website, if you happen to try your luck and turn up with an additional person, drivers will request that you cancel the GrabShare Beta ride and book a regular Grab ride instead.

Top image from Grab and Syahindah Ishak