SINGAPORE (CNA) – Grab said on Friday that it will introduce a temporary fee for its transportation services from April 1, to help its drivers defray higher operating costs.
The driver fee of SGD0.50 per ride extends to all transport services except the standard taxi service and is expected to last until May 31, Grab said in a press release.
The fees will “fully” go to the driver-partners, it added.
The temporary fee is in addition to Grab’s ongoing commission rebate and fuel discount schemes, said the operator.
The fee does not apply to Grab’s other services, such as its food delivery or GrabMart service.
“Our priority is to ensure that our driver-partners earn a sustainable income on our platform,” said Head of Transport for Grab Singapore Alvin Wee.
Wee said that the company has heard from drivers on the rising fuel prices and the impact on their earnings and has been “exploring different ways to support them”.
“We hope the driver fee, together with the ongoing commission and fuel rebate programmes will help to defray their operating costs. We will also continue to monitor the situation,” he added.
Grab’s announcement comes after that of TADA and Gojek, which are also introducing temporary fees to support private-hire car drivers amid rising fuel prices. TADA passengers will see a SGD0.50 flat fee added to all rides with trip fares of up to SGD18, while SGD0.80 will be added to rides from SGD18.10.
Meanwhile, a SGD0.50 flat fee will be added to all Gojek rides that are less than 10km in distance, while trips that go beyond 10km will have a SGD0.80 flat fee.
