Grab Malaysia has recently launched Group Ride, a new feature on the Grab app aimed at improving travel. This initiative supports the government’s efforts to encourage Malaysians to use more efficient and sustainable transport options, providing new ways for customers to save money.
The Group Ride feature highlights three main aspects: affordability, technology, and sustainability, offering customers a better way to “Kongsi Perjalanan, Kongsi Tambang”. Recently, Minister of Transport YB Loke Siew Fook tested the feature by joining a Group Ride with Ministry staff in Putrajaya.
Enhancing first mile-last mile mobility solutions
As Malaysia continues to urbanise, the Ministry of Transport is committed to supporting solutions that reduce traffic congestion and cost of living expenses for the growing population in cities, contributing to improving quality of life for Malaysians.
Minister of Transport YB Loke Siew Fook commented, “The MoT welcomes Grab’s new Group Ride feature, aligning with our #TanggungjawabBersama call for e-hailing operators to expand carpool services and reduce travel expenses for commuters. The disruption in fuel supply due to the conflict in West Asia has already seen more Malaysians turning to public transport for savings, so we encourage the introduction of services that provide customers with wider mobility options, syncing with other modes of transportation such as commuter rail to reduce the need for private car usage. The MoT supports initiatives that can enhance the rakyat’s well-being through improvements in the transportation ecosystem. Here, we are pleased to see Grab’s technology enabling smarter route planning, thus helping their driver-partners optimise their time and earning potential behind the wheel and reducing fuel wastage.”
“The Ministry of Transport’s call to expand carpooling fits perfectly with Grab’s new Group Ride feature. Our passengers have long been sharing rides to save on fares, especially among colleagues commuting for work or friends going to the same event, which led us to introduce Group Ride to address their pain points. This feature elevates affordability, convenience and flexibility for passengers, lowering individual travel costs. At the same time, it benefits the broader ecosystem by optimising road usage, reducing congestion and supporting a more sustainable urban transport system, including lowering carbon footprint and petrol consumption amid global supply disruption. For driver-partners, they benefit from more efficient time utilisation and fewer idle periods, while maintaining sustainable earning opportunities,” said Rashid Shukor, Director of Country Operations and Mobility, Grab Malaysia.
Grab’s new Group Ride feature displayed on the Grab app.
Group Ride allows multiple passengers travelling on similar routes to share a single vehicle, effectively reducing the number of cars on the road and concurrently getting more passengers to their destinations.
Key features of Group Ride include:
- Cost Efficiency: Passengers can save up to 40% on fares compared to individual bookings.
- Fair and effortless payment: Similar to the Group Order experience on GrabFood, the host can choose to pay for the full trip or split the fare among passengers. The feature allows for either an equal split or proportional split based on individual distance travelled.
- Flexible Routing: The feature supports various trip configurations, including multiple pick-up points to a single destination, or a single pick-up point to multiple drop-off locations.
- AI-Driven Optimisation: Grab’s proprietary algorithms sequence trips to ensure the most time-efficient route for passengers and driver-partners.
- Real-Time Coordination: A forthcoming “Waiting Room” feature will allow group members to track the vehicle’s progress and passenger readiness in real time.
Commitment to Safety and Sustainability
While being efficient is important, keeping passengers safe is even more crucial. Group Ride bookings are linked with Grab’s safety features, like the Safety Centre, the “Get Emergency Help” SOS button, and trip monitoring technology.
Introducing Group Ride is a smart move for better transportation in Malaysia. It offers an easy way to share rides, which helps reduce living costs for commuters and protects the environment by lowering our carbon footprint. This is what #TanggungjawabBersama means—bringing together technology and community efforts to enhance everyday life.
Group Ride is now available for eligible users through the Grab mobile app across Malaysia. This feature is a convenient way for friends, families, and colleagues to travel together more smartly and efficiently.
For further information regarding Group Ride and how it works, users may refer to the Help Centre within the Grab app.