Eager to fill the void left by Uber and facing stiff competition from Grab, Singapore’s home-grown ride-hailing app RydeX rolled out an on-demand feature for commuters which will allow them to make instant bookings.
Earlier, the commuters had to book a ride at least 10 minutes in advance.
“Ryde’s on-demand feature connects riders with a nearby driver when they request for a ride, reducing average wait times to under five minutes for each booking,” said Ryde in a press release.
“Drivers can now accept both on-demand and scheduled jobs and expect to take home 20 per cent more earnings as they spend lesser time idling between jobs,” it added.
RydeX service was launched in Singapore in May by local start-up Ryde Technologies which started off with carpooling services in 2015.
The on-demand feature is available on the Ryde app for all services, including carpool, private-hire and taxis.
While launching the on-demand service, Terence Zou, Founder and CEO of Ryde Technologies said, “We are now a complete ride-hailing app with a full suite of on-demand mobility services ready at a tap – carpool, pets, private-hire and taxis.”
“We have arrived: we picked up from where Uber left off in double quick time. Technology helped us to onboard drivers quicker, match riders faster and ultimately deliver a better experience,” he added.
The company has been conducting trials for the new RydeX on-demand feature for the past two weeks.
Promising to keep fares at competitive levels, the company said, “Ryde pledges to keep fares at competitive levels with reasonable surge pricing during peak hours to more efficiently calibrate demand and supply.”
“All fares are upfront and fixed to provide price certainty to users. Users will experience faster matches for their bookings,” it added.
Michelle Lim, consultant in Singapore, said, “The new on-demand service is a great addition to the Ryde app. This service creates greater efficiency and reduces the waiting time taken for commuters. I can now book rides as and when I want."