Grab launches new carpooling service

GrabHitch enables anyone to offset the cost of their journey and meet new people.

GRAB (formerly known as MyTeksi) has introduced GrabHitch, an affordable door-to-door service addressing a different commuter segment – car owners travelling to and from work every day looking to cover costs by offering rides to others going the same way.

The Grab app now offers a new service that seeks to address a localised problem – single occupant vehicles. 

According a study conducted by AC Nielsen, Malaysia has the third highest car ownership globally whereby 93% of Malaysian households own at least a car whilst 54% have more than one car. 

To add to that, six million trips are made in the Klang Valley alone on a daily basis via private cars, most of which are single occupancy vehicles (SOVs), that’s 83% of all travel on a daily basis.

“Therefore, there is a significant pool of vehicles with extra seats for more passengers. Every car has the potential to play a part in improving Malaysia’s public transport network and meet the growing demand of rides each day,” said Grab Malaysia country manager Jaygan Fu. 

In addition to this, GrabHitch also aims at answering the call from public officials for an effective carpooling system.

“Sharing car journeys reduces carbon emissions, traffic congestion on the roads, and the need for parking spaces,” said DBKL Urban Transportation Department deputy director Abdul Hamid Surip.

Benefits of GrabHitch