Grabbike offers speedy service, around the clock
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Motorcycle taxis are now "on demand", serving you round-the-clock, with just a few taps on your smartphone.
After the successful debut of its taxi-booking app, GrabTaxi, the Southeast Asia-focused ride-hailing business, is expanding to a more rapid transport vehicle – the motorbike.
It is obviously a logical move considering the popularity of motorcycle taxis, which have already been prevailing in the daily lives of Thais in nearly every soi and every city in the country.
GrabBike will not only provide passenger rides but also product delivery. The company says most goods that can be carried on a motorcycle will be accepted.
And unlike its GrabExpress service launched earlier that offers next-day delivery and is only for small parcels, GrabBike is for fast service. The company’s motto is it will be like you have your own motorbike. It promises to get the courier to you within 15 minutes from being called through the app.
The service is quite expensive, starting at Bt35 for the first kilometre, Bt12 for each of the next 10 kilometres and Bt15 for each of the following kilometres.
But besides rapid, on-demand, around-the-clock grabbing service, GrabBike’s key selling point is passenger safety, as it can monitor “real-time” where the bike goes and every driver gets training and profile checking.
It remains to be seen how popular the service will be here. GrabBike claims it already has provided the service more than 500,000 times to customers in Indonesia since it debuted in late May.
It will also offer a new alternative career to Thais who can do freelance, motorbike taxi jobs without having to pay for a vest and station themselves at a particular soi or place.
The company will hold its grand opening on Wednesday. At the initial stage, GrabBike is available only in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.
CYCLISTS FLOCK TO |‘BIKE FOR MOM’
Nearly 300,000 people have registered to join the “Bike for Mom” drive, a historical event that will be held on August 16 to honour Her Majesty the Queen’s 83rd birthday. About 40,000 of them are Bangkok bicyclists. Applications will close on Wednesday.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will lead the two-wheel convoy on a 43-kilometre bike ride in Bangkok.
Contributed by Pichaya Changsorn
