This topic has been discussed many times offline...by both new and old cabbies....
The verdict is still out there. Now Grab Taxi pays a lot to hook cabbies....in future, cabbies who take the calls from Grab most likely end up paying for the calls but no avenue to charge pax....so unless someone is willing to foot the "incentives" (whether to entice cabbies to take the call or pax to use more of Grab etc.) IMHO I wonder how feasible is this business model.
For pax :
Easier to get a cab. One app for all company. No need to listen to music.
Some pax do add "sweetener" for cabby to "grab" their call. Lot of +v feed backs from pax.
For me (weekend night driver)
Another source of call. Lately mkt leader started to put destination which were rare previously.
W/o incentive is OK, as long as I'm near pickup point with A+ destination. Still the same 30cents levy.
(no need to waste brain juice to guess where pax is going, whether can connect another after that...)
For operator...low startup cost. Just maintain their system, Cabbies pay H/p bill.
At present no quarterly QOS for them.
If can grab 20-30% of the mkt call is good business.
For the authority..
Less complain of not getting a cab.
Wow...does Grab fall under (i)? Hmmm.....it is hard to prove since it is technical not another taxi radio network but an independent matching service (who does not operate a taxi fleet)....I believe LTA will not step in as Grab does not operate a fleet that requires licence but just provide an APP for the independent taxi operators. LTA is interested in setting the 250 KM per day standard to ensure the taxi is plying the road (even if it is for personal usage, they don't care).....
Is Grab really interested in collecting $0.30 from you? I don't think so. Not in Singapore at least. They have much bigger vision.....many countries with larger taxi population and poor calling systems...as well as poor SECURITY system....there, Grab will market itself as a premier value added service and can or will try to impose a premium on passengers who will be assured of getting reliable and safe taxi drivers who can drive them home safely....this is my honest opinion.
Just from the grapevine today....the blue fleet management has fired someone for not taking current calls from them but just focusing on Grab calls.....do they have a right to do so under "The Schedule"....anyone want to enlighten us?
(1) 4G Android Phone - LTE speed
(2) Continuous power from car battery as you need to look at the phone once job is dispatched to you
(3) a solid handphone holder (there is a brand called Capdase, I bought 2 of this though it is more expensive as it will be able to carry the weight of your phone and not be shaking or vibrating needlessly) and place close to your fingers when you drive as bidding is based on fastest finger at the nearest location.
I knew of someone in our group who grabbed more than 70 jobsin a week. So, he is a good Grab supporter but he does not drive CDG though.
Just from the grapevine today....the blue fleet management has fired someone for not taking current calls from them but just focusing on Grab calls.....do they have a right to do so under "The Schedule"....anyone want to enlighten us?
LTE,3G, GPRS are all part of what is known as a Radio Access Network technology. GrabTaxi is an App solely related to taxi activities although it is not a taxi company. Strictly speaking therefore, GrabTaxi is a Taxi Radio Network. And therefore, CDG has the right to fire drivers who use this network extensively at the expense of CDG's own calls and customers.
I am not a CDG driver, but I am sure there are other clauses and fine print in the driver contract such as either party terminating the contract by giving notice and without assigning any reason whatsoever.
Afterall, drivers can terminate the contract anytime, so why can't they?
-- Edited by Taxilim on Tuesday 29th of April 2014 11:47:32 PM
@ Leng - Yes, I read the article too....I had the chance to learn about other such apps in China....Recently I saw news report that some countries are clamping down on such 3rd party apps because it caused a lot of backlash from passengers who could not get any cab along the roads.
The cause? Because for every cabs that appear, the cabby would ask whether the pax whether he booked through the APP and if not must book through the app on the spot before the cabbies will take them ..... [Remember the APP pays both the cabby and pax incentives to use the APP under the current scheme there].
Wow....I am surprise at how such app has developed to such extend overseas. I wonder how LTA will be reacting when every cabby only accept pax who booked through APP or Taxi company system. AKAN DATANG!!!!
Today attend talk from my company. they said that take grabtaxi call cannot charge pax booking fee. Knn i already charge many pax. Any bro use grabtaxi to charge booking fee? what the use for grabtaxi app if cannot charge booking fee.
yes, you are not suppose to charge the booking as it is not an official company booking you are hiring from. it just a 3rd party app that help u get customers faster.