Illegal carpooling chat groups on Telegram grow in popularity in S’pore; authorities monitoring, will take action

Chat groups such as SG Hitch on Telegram that connect drivers and passengers have grown in popularity over the years. These chat groups, known as Telehitch groups, started appearing around 2019 and are illegal and unregulated. — Background photo created by jannoon028 - www.freepik.com

SINGAPORE: On a Friday night, a trip from Bedok to Orchard Road cost S$32 on ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Gojek, while the same trip cost S$16 on an illegal carpooling chat group on Telegram.

To save on the trip, a 26-year-old teacher, who wanted to be known only as Gen, opted for the carpooling service from SG Hitch to get from her home to Wisma Atria. Her ride in November 2022 put her off such illegal services for good.