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Grab Singapore is expanding its GrabShare service further to include pick-ups from the heartlands in the morning from Feb. 22.
A notification Grab sent to users on Feb. 21 said: "GrabShare Beta service expansion. We heard your feedback, so we're expanding GrabShare Beta to include pick-ups from the heartlands from 7am to 10am."
It was earlier reported on Jan. 10 that the latest iteration of the GrabShare function was trialled from Jan. 16 to 29, 2023, where fares are about 20 per cent cheaper.
With the service expansion from Feb. 22, morning pick-ups will be from Punggol, Sengkang, and Hougang in the north east, Woodlands, Sembawang, and Yishun in the north, as well as Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Panjang, and Bukit Batok in the north west, during morning peak hours from 7am to 10am.
There was an earlier expansion of services from Feb. 15 during the 5pm to 11pm period down south.
Background
When GrabShare returned on Jan 16, some conditions were introduced as part of the trial.
Passengers were able to use the service 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.
All photos via Grab